This research examines the impact of climate change on youth’s place attachment, highlighting the pressing need to understand its implications for urban space utilisation in the rapidly changing Arctic. To achieve this, it is crucial to gain a comprehensive understanding of the youth’s frame of reference. Acquiring this knowledge is essential for effectively safeguarding the well-being of the youth and enhancing adaptive measures. Furthermore, this understanding, in combination with addressing historical colonial practices in Greenland’s urban planning, play a pivotal role in fostering community engagement and ultimately promoting more sustainable urban development.
Therefore, the case study conducted in Tasiilaq investigates the youth’s perspectives on their attachment to public spaces and examines the implications of climate change on place attachment through interviews and participatory observation. This study employs an expanded place attachment theory, considering the influence of climate change, and adopts a decolonisation of science as well as a community based participatory research approach.
The findings highlight that place attachment for the youth is shaped by the fulfillment of functional and emotional needs, encompassing social interaction, physical activity, and reflective purposes. The study concludes that climate change impacts the place attachment of the youth, albeit in a multifaceted manner, influenced by a complex interplay of factors. The findings reveal both positive and negative effects of climate change on place attachment, which are mediated by the youth’s functional and emotional needs and the availability of alternative options.