Local Evaluations of Neighborhood Change

Abstract

Questions arise concerning the nature and organization of residents' perceptual responses to neighborhood change. Transactionalism, with its focus on context and change, provides a theoretical basis for an empirical study that attempts to identify and evaluate the human dimensions of change within the context of an inner-city neighborhood of San Diego, California. Using quasi-nonmetric weighted multi-dimensional scaling (WMDS), I analyzed similarity matrices, which are derived from asking a sample of residents to respond to different neighborhood contexts. The WMDS suggests that residents place great importance on neighborhood stability. A modified form of repertory grid analysis provides insight into how individuals respond to specific neighborhood changes. Residential and commercial establishments that had disappeared from the area are, on the whole, preferred. Residents dislike large new developments, finding them cold, mass-produced and impersonal. A non-metric classic multi-dimensional scaling (CMDS) of selected data from the repertory grids produces an indifference surface that describes perceived effects of specific changes. Large proximate changes stimulate greater response than those in more remote locations. A transactional model is suggested as a basis for studying local evaluations of neighborhood change and for contributing to knowledge and application in microlevel research in general.

Key Words:

• transactional theory
• perception
• neighborhood
• residents
• context
• change