Prolonged Temporariness and Social Sustainability in Post-Disaster Recovery: Place Attachment as an Interpretive Diagnostic in Antakya’s Temporary Settlements

Prolonged displacement can transform temporary settlements into enduring socio-spatial environments. This article examines selected dimensions of social sustainability in Antakya following the 2023 Kahramanmaraş earthquakes. It combines a visual content analysis of 169 publicly available Instagram images with a Q-methodology study involving 50 residents across 30 temporary settlement areas. Public representations foreground the built environment (97.4%), everyday experience (94.7%), and the reconstruction of place (86.8%), whereas historical continuity is less visible (28.9%). Four rotated factors explain 35.8% of the variance: cultural-symbolic continuity and collective place-making; functional domestic stabilisation and organised settlement life; integrated socio-spatial anchoring and service-supported belonging; and pragmatic shelter stabilisation under uncertainty. Place attachment is treated as a qualitative, interpretive diagnostic rather than as a direct measure of institutional performance. The findings indicate that residents preserve cultural identity, establish domestic routines, depend on integrated social and service infrastructure, or prioritise shelter adequacy while remaining selective about emotional investment. The study derives factor-specific implications for neighbourhood continuity, dwelling adaptation, social infrastructure, and credible transitions to permanent housing.