Emplacing linked lives: A qualitative approach to understanding the co‐evolution of residential mobility and place attachment formation over time

Despite growing interest in issues of residential mobility and place attachment a globalised world, research within Environmental Community psychology has tended to overlook the ways that interpersonal relations, wider socio-political economic structural factors inform formation amongst residentially mobile individuals. We address this gap drawing on Human Geography concept ‘Linked Lives’ (Coulter et al., Progress Geography, 2016, 40(3), 352–374), conceive relocation decisions individuals, their (non)attachment current residence place, as deeply intertwined with formative experiences, contexts which people live 352–374). With aim deepening understanding co-evolution attachment, paper presents narrative case studies residents living town Southwest England, each resident indicating different variety people–place relations place. Findings indicate moving intentions consequent result from complex interactions over time between (a) experiences settlement identities, leading preferred types place; (b) significant others including family community members vary according life stage events; (c) forces, comprising cultural, economic, political shaping people's lives. Future could examine how changes arising COVID-19 pandemic are influencing mobilities attachments