In support of the unambiguous neighborhood: a proposed size typology

ABSTRACT

The definition of neighborhood is often ambiguous. The purpose of this paper is to offer clarity on one important aspect of its definition: its size. While there is already a voluminous literature on neighborhood concepts and definitions, few sources delve into the question of size explicitly, and in a historically and culturally comparative way. Based on an extensive literature review, five size-based categories of neighborhood are proposed: (1) small clusters and face blocks; (2) more than a block, but still face to face; (3) like a big high school; (4) Perry’s neighborhood; and (5) the neighborhood expanded. Smaller neighborhoods are likely to prioritize social connectedness, while larger conceptions emphasize serviceability. Examples within each category are cross-cultural and cross-temporal, with many size regularities spanning more than one time period and more than one region.

KEYWORDS:

• Neighborhood
• neighborhood size
• neighborhood definition
• neighborhood typology

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No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author.

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Emily Talen

Emily Talen is a Professor of Urbanism at the University of Chicago. Her research focuses on the relationship between the built environment and social equity.