Background of the Study

“Community is a group of individuals who share a common territory and fulfill their

fundamental, physical and social needs through everyday contact with each other (Johnson,

1986).” A strong sense of community is a feeling that members have of belonging, a feeling that

members matter to one another and to the group, and shared faith that members’ needs will be

met through their commitment to be together (McMillan & Chavis 1986). Through

communication platforms, community can share a sense of place in a given geographical area or

virtual space. A strong sense of community has been associated with built-environment.

The social value of public space is wide ranging and lies in the contribution it makes to

people’s attachment to their locality and opportunities for mixing with others, and in people’s

memory of places (Dines and Cattell et al., 2006). Places can provide opportunities for social

interaction, social mixing and social inclusion, and can facilitate the development of community

ties. Over the course of history, the function and formation of public spaces have changed in

different types of rural municipalities, often in relation to the geographic location of the

municipality in terms of location or local conditions and customs. The tourist attraction of the

place is now also an important driving element in the form of public space (Moravcova et al.,

2020).

Technology has changed how people use and interact with public spaces. Throughout history,

public spaces have embodied the city’s identity offering different functions for the community.

Users of open spaces are constantly voicing new needs, and planners must adjust and respond to
these needs (Osaba et al., 2019). The development of ICTs tools and the mobility of modern devices
also bring new demands regarding urban design and the way public spaces are being planned.