The effect of citizen satisfaction towards municipal services on urban belonging: Düzce example

Municipal service refers to the local and common needs of the public at the local level being met by municipalities. The impact of the services provided by the municipality on the citizen has been discussed in various areas in the literature. The research aims to reveal the effects of citizen satisfaction with municipal services on the sense of urban belonging. There are studies in the literature that separately address the issues of urban belonging and citizen satisfaction with municipal services. In this study, the effect of citizen satisfaction with municipal services on urban belonging is examined and the importance of the quality of municipal services and the satisfaction felt from this is revealed. Citizens residing in Düzce, which gained provincial status after the 1999 Gölcük earthquake, have largely settled in the city later. Therefore, based on the assumption that the role of municipal services is important in the formation of urban belonging among the citizens here, the study was conducted in Düzce/Merkez district. In line with the determined purpose, data was collected using a survey technique applied to 430 citizens who settled in Düzce after 1999. As a result, it was found that as satisfaction with municipal services increases, urban belonging increases, and the party voted for, income level and level of knowledge about municipal services have an effect on urban belonging.