Social Dimensions of Neighborhoods and the Effectiveness of Information Programs

Abstract

In this article, concepts from research on social networks, neighboring, and sense of community were combined in order to find empirical foundation for dimensions in neighborhood cohesion. Eight neighborhoods in the Netherlands were investigated by interviewing representative samples of residents. The results reveal two dimensions in the social characteristics of neighborhoods, the first reflecting neighboring, the second, sense of community. In combination, these dimensions define the cohesion of a neighborhood. Neighborhoods that consisted mainly of multi-story apartment blocks were found to be less cohesive than neighborhoods consisting of single-family dwellings, not because of lower levels of neighboring activities, but mainly due to a weaker sense of community. Finally, a typology of neighborhoods based on the two observed dimensions is proposed.