Local Identity and Urban Perception in an Intermediate City: Implications for Sustainable Urban Development

This study analyzes the factors that influence perceptions of the urban environment and local identity, considering them as key dimensions for understanding sustainable urban development in Latin America. Based on data from a representative sample of 701 residents in the medium-sized city of Tuluá, Colombia, the study examines the relationships between public services, safety, mobility, healthcare, and cultural offerings and these citizen perceptions. The data were analyzed using Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Modeling (PLS-SEM), which allowed for the simultaneous evaluation of relationships between formative and reflective latent variables. The results reveal a strong positive relationship between the perception of the urban environment and local identity. Citizen security emerged as the most significant predictor in both constructs, followed by public services. In contrast, satisfaction with medical care, cultural offerings, and urban mobility did not show significant effects on the perception of the urban environment, although mobility had a moderate positive effect on local identity. These findings enrich the debate on urban dynamics in Latin American contexts and provide guidance for the design of public policies that strengthen territorial cohesion and quality of life from an integral perspective. In doing so, the study enhances the understanding of how urban sustainability can be advanced through both structural and perceptual factors.