Local residents' place attachment, place social values and attitudes toward tourism development in northeastern Puerto Rico

For a positive attitude towards place change and long-term sustainable tourism development, tourism planning must diminish the negative disruptions to place attachment and must converge with the values, aspirations, preferences and knowledge of host communities.;Tourism development plays a significant role in the urban sprawl and the spatial reorganization of coastal places in northeastern Puerto Rico. However, there is a lack of research concerning tourism in Puerto Rico, yet research is critical for understanding the impacts of tourism development in local communities and for the sustainable planning of tourism development.;Ninety residents of communities in northeastern Puerto Rico, within one mile of tourism development or areas speculated for these developments were interviewed to explore their place and community attachment, perception of places with social or ecologic values and attitudes toward different types of tourism development. In addition is portrayed an exploratory cartography of residents' opinions, preferences and values for place.