Neighbourhood attachment and patterns of behaviour: a theoretical and empirical analysis of urban life

This thesis sets out to examine the spatial aspects of microsocial behaviour at the neighbourhood level. It seeks to achieve a better understanding of what ordinary people think about their local area, and how this affects their behaviour within that area. The development of the twin concepts of neighbourhood and community is examined, and their relevance to everyday life is traced through the history of town planning in Britain and America. The strands of philosophical notions and practical planning procedures are put into context by reference to more recent geographical and sociological studies, in particular the community studies of the 1950s and 1960s. Following the identification of a gap in our knowledge of the micro-social behaviour of ordinary residents in typical urban settings, the study is focussed upon the 'affective' (what attachments people feel towards their local area) and the 'utilitarian' (what local services they use or do not use) aspects of neighbourhood life. Following a pilot study in Stoke-on-Trent, four different ways of living in an area are identified. These four response patterns are described as ideal types which in a 'pure' form cannot be found in the real world. The four patterns identified are termed 'sociospat ial types' and are further articulated and developed through the main study in the Withington area of Manchester. Households falling within socio-spatial type 1 clearly like their local area and represent the tendency towards stability and equilibrium in any area; and as such their needs can be adequately and effectively planned for. The other three socio-spatial types deviate from this pattern of stability in various complex, and sometimes ambiguous ways. The thesis concludes with an assessment of the usefulness of classifying such behaviour into a socio-spatial typology, and of the relevance of the concept to the theory and practice of modern town planning and urban management