The validity of Williams and Roggenbuck’s [1] place attachment scale has been examined in numerous studies and the results indicate that it is a valid instrument for measuring place dependence and place identity in a variety of settings. The purpose of this study is to expand previous construct validity research on items related to the latent variable identified as place identity on a recreational resource in an urban setting. Participants included 126 trail users (58% female, 42% male, age 20-66) who completed an online survey designed to measure individual perceptions of trail characteristics and patterns of use. A single-factor confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) was performed with goodness-of-fit tested using chi-square. When performed using the Maximum Likelihood method, the test was not significant, χ²(2) = 4.74, p = .09. When performed using the Generalized Least Squares method, the test also was not significant, χ²(2) = 4.54, p = .10, thus failing to reject the null hypothesis that the data do not fit the model. The results suggest that the 4-item place identity scale may be a valid measurement tool for use on recreational spaces in urban settings.

place attachment, place identity, biophilic cities, urban planning, recreation