Investigating a sense of place at a historic commercial street corridor: Visitor perception of social aspects

A strong social relationship between people and a place can trigger the emergence of activities, which can also strengthen the bond between them. This study will examine the Ampel Street Corridor, which is a historic religious area in Surabaya, Indonesia. It is an area with a strong identity and has a bonding relationship with its visitors. This study aims to reveal the types of relationships between the visitor and the place, confirm the scale of 'sense of place' that uld be achieved in this location, and to identify social aspects that are essential for experiencing this area and creating a sense of place. The nature of this research is qualitative. The data collection techniques were by interviews, focus group discussions, visual observations and documentation. The results of this study revealed that the relationship types found between a person and a place are biographical, spiritual, ideological, narrative, commodified and dependent. Another revelation is that the sense of place that the visitors could experience includes the knowledge of being located and involved in a place, belonging to and being attached to a place, identifying the self and the place's goal, and making sacrifices for a place. A third discovery is that the social aspects that create the sense of place are history, memory, crowdedness, religious atmosphere, lifestyle, interaction, activity, and the presence of Arabian merchants.