Attitudes about Neighborhoods

Abstract

The choice-constraint model discussed in the previous chapter can be expanded to provide a framework in which to analyze people’s feelings about their place of residence. Just as people’s behavior is constrained by their socioeconomic circumstances, so is it constrained by the characteristics of the neighborhood in which they live. The neighborhood environment, through the quality of life it offers, the availability of services, and the fabric of its social life, influences peoples’ decisions about participating in neighborhood activities and may directly affect the choices available to them. People living in a neighborhood which offers a variety of services—religious, recreational, shopping— have greater choice about where to engage in these activities than those living in places devoid of these services.