The relationship between housing tenure, sense of place and environmental management practices: A case study of two private land rental communities in Bangkok, Thailand

The study explores the relationship of housing tenure, sense of place, and environmental management in communities renting in private lands in Bangkok, Thailand. It is argued that housing tenure holds an important role in determining the success of environmental management practices at the community level, especially in the absence of land tenure security. A series of in-depth interviews with community leaders, community elders, and officers from district office are conducted to understand the practices of environmental management in two selected communities. A survey questionnaire is carried out to establish the relationship between housing tenure and environmental management practices. It is found that the housing tenure affects the environmental management practices in two ways. First, housing tenure directly correlates with environmental management practices. Secondly, housing tenure affects sense of place of residents and participation in community activities, which in turn affects the outcome of environmental management practices. (C) 2012 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.