‘My neighbourhood is fuzzy, not hard and fast’: Individual and contextual associations with perceived residential neighbourhood boundaries among ageing Americans

Jessica Finlay, Joy Jang, Michael Esposito, Leslie McClure, Suzanne Judd and Philippa Clarke
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Jessica Finlay: University of Michigan, USA
Joy Jang: University of Michigan, USA
Michael Esposito: Washington University in St Louis, USA
Leslie McClure: Drexel University, USA
Suzanne Judd: University of Alabama at Birmingham, USA
Philippa Clarke: University of Michigan, USA

Urban Studies, 2023, vol. 60, issue 1, 85-108

Abstract: Neighbourhoods are fluid social and spatial constructs that vary by person and place. How do residential neighbourhoods shift as people age? This mixed-methods study investigates how perceived neighbourhood boundaries and size vary by individual and contextual characteristics. Semi-structured interviews with 125 adults aged 55–92 years living in the Minneapolis (Minnesota) metropolitan area suggested that neighbourhood boundaries are ‘fuzzy’. Qualitative thematic analysis identified duration of residence and housing stability, race, life-space mobility, social capital, sense of safety, and the built and social environment as key neighbourhood determinants. This informed quantitative analyses among 7811 respondents (mean age 72) from the REasons for Geographic And Racial Differences in Stroke (REGARDS) Study who self-reported how many blocks composed their neighbourhoods. We tested individual and contextual factors identified in the qualitative results as related to perceived neighbourhood size. Three-level gamma regression models showed that being older, white, less educated, lower income, less physically and cognitively healthy, less active, less socially supported, and feeling unsafe were significantly associated with smaller self-reported neighbourhood sizes. Further, living in less racially diverse, less dense, and less affluent areas were significantly associated with smaller neighbourhoods. The mixed-methods findings deepen understanding of scale in neighbourhood-based research, inform urban planning interventions, and help understand what ‘neighbourhood’ means among diverse ageing Americans.

Keywords: ageing in place; mixed-methods; neighbourhood; older adults; uncertain geographic context problem; 原居安è€; æ··å ˆæ–¹æ³•; 街区; è€ å¹´äºº; ä¸ ç¡®å®šåœ°ç †çŽ¯å¢ƒé—®é¢˜ (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2023
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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:sae:urbstu:v:60:y:2023:i:1:p:85-108

DOI: 10.1177/00420980221089582

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