Perceiving and Valuing Sense of Community in a New Urbanist Development: A Case Study of Kentlands

Abstract

In addressing how effectively New Urbanist developments foster a sense of community among residents, this paper undertakes an in-depth study of Kentlands, Maryland, to examine holistically how residents perceive and value sense of community. Using surveys and interviews, housing types, residential districts and unique physical features at Kentlands are compared to gauge their integrated impact on residents' sense of community. The locational and physical characteristics of key New Urbanist features at Kentlands play an important role in promoting the various domains of sense of community, while demographics and a sense of ownership also affect the results.

Acknowledgements

The author wishes to thank anonymous reviewers and the editor of this journal for helpful comments on earlier drafts of the paper.