New Housing as Neighborhood Revitalization

Abstract

Neighborhood revitalization efforts include building new subdivisions in declining neighborhoods, but few studies have asked the incoming residents about the success of such new housing efforts. We examined neighborhood confidence and place attachment among residents of such a new housing subdivision ( n = 56) and compared them to newcomers ( n = 99) and old-timers ( n = 271) in the surrounding neighborhood. The new subdivision attracted comparatively wealthy, married, home owning residents. Compared with residents in the surrounding neighborhood, new subdivision residents had more neighborhood confidence, especially those who perceived few incivilities and satisfactory neighborhood services. Subdivision newcomers had higher place attachments than newcomers to the surrounding neighborhood and as high attachments as old-timers in the surrounding neighborhood. Although largely attracted by affordable housing, new subdivision residents may become important neighborhood contributors, given their levels of place attachment and confidence.