The Social Construction of Neighborhood Space: Models of Neighborhood Boundary Perceptions in a Diverse Urban Area

• In Event: 1553 - Space and Place in the Urban Environment

Abstract

Use of census geography to identify neighborhoods for the purposes of research has come under increasingly criticism as administratively defined units may not represent lived understandings of urban neighborhoods. In response, an emerging approach employs perceived neighborhood boundaries to better operationalize neighborhoods. Yet, little is known about the factors that shape perceived neighborhood boundaries. We will investigate egocentric, activity space, and affiliative approaches to understanding the meaning of perceived neighborhood boundaries using novel data from the Adolescent Health and Development in Context study. Caregivers (up to N=1400) were asked to provide four intersections that bound their perceived neighborhood. Rich information on the routine activity locations of AHDC respondents was also collected. These data will provide an unprecedented opportunity to explore the social factors that shape perceptions of neighborhood boundaries in a large, diverse urban sample.

Authors

• Nicolo P. Pinchak, Ohio State University

• Catherine A. Calder, Ohio State University

• Bethany Boettner, Ohio State University