Urban Studies

 

Advanced Search

Journal Navigation

Journal Home

Subscriptions

Archive

Contact Us

Table of Contents

Click here for more information

Click here for more information

Sign In to gain access to subscriptions and/or personal tools.
This Article
Right arrow Full Text (PDF)
Right arrow References
Right arrow Alert me when this article is cited
Right arrow Alert me if a correction is posted
Right arrow Citation Map
Services
Right arrow Email this article to a friend
Right arrow Similar articles in this journal
Right arrow Alert me to new issues of the journal
Right arrow Add to Saved Citations
Right arrow Download to citation manager
Right arrow Add to My Marked Citations
Citing Articles
Right arrow Citing Articles via HighWire
Right arrow Citing Articles via Google Scholar
Google Scholar
Right arrow Articles by Talen, E.
Right arrow Search for Related Content
Social Bookmarking
 Add to CiteULike   Add to Connotea   Add to Del.icio.us   Add to Digg   Add to Reddit   Add to Technorati  
What's this?
Urban Studies, Vol. 36, No. 8, 1361-1379 (1999)
DOI: 10.1080/0042098993033
© 1999 Urban Studies Journal Limited

Sense of Community and Neighbourhood Form: An Assessment of the Social Doctrine of New Urbanism

Emily Talen

School of Social Sciences and Bruton Center for Development Studies, University of Texas at Dallas, 2601 N. Floyd Road, Richardson, Texas 75083-0688, USA, etalen{at}utdallas.edu

New urbanism, an umbrella term which encompasses 'neotraditional development' as well as 'traditional neighbourhood design', lives by an unswerving belief in the ability of the built environment to create a 'sense of community'. The purpose of this paper is to assess whether the social doctrine of new urbanism can be successfully supported or at least integrated with the social science literature which deals with the question of community formation. Towards this goal, the paper first delineates the social doctrine of new urbanism, and then discusses the conceptual frameworks and empirical findings that either support or contradict the idea that a sense of community will follow the physical form of cities and neighbourhoods generally and new urbanist principles specifically. After laying this groundwork, the remainder of the paper presents an assessment of whether a reconciliation between research and doctrine may be possible, in light of various apparent contradictions between the social claims of new urbanists and the results of research by social scientists. It is concluded that new urbanists need to clarify the meaning of sense of community as it pertains to physical design. Further, it is maintained that while some research supports the idea that resident interaction and sense of community are related to environmental factors, the effectuation of this goal is usually only achieved via some intermediate variable. This latter point leaves open the question of whether any number of other design creeds could produce the same result via a different design philosophy. The need for further research is stressed; this should be focused on investigating the issue more directly.


Add to CiteULike CiteULike   Add to Connotea Connotea   Add to Del.icio.us Del.icio.us   Add to Digg Digg   Add to Reddit Reddit   Add to Technorati Technorati    What's this?


This article has been cited by other articles:


Home page
Journal of Planning Education and ResearchHome page
S. Ganapati
Critical Appraisal of Three Ideas for Community Development in the United States
Journal of Planning Education and Research, June 1, 2008; 27(4): 382 - 399.
[Abstract] [PDF]


Home page
Urban Affairs ReviewHome page
M. L. Joseph, R. J. Chaskin, and H. S. Webber
The Theoretical Basis for Addressing Poverty Through Mixed-Income Development
Urban Affairs Review, January 1, 2007; 42(3): 369 - 409.
[Abstract] [PDF]


Home page
Journal of Planning Education and ResearchHome page
A. Skaburskis
New Urbanism and Sprawl: A Toronto Case Study
Journal of Planning Education and Research, March 1, 2006; 25(3): 233 - 248.
[Abstract] [PDF]


Home page
Environment and BehaviorHome page
K. Youngentob and M. Hostetler
Is a New Urban Development Model Building Greener Communities?
Environment and Behavior, November 1, 2005; 37(6): 731 - 759.
[Abstract] [PDF]


Home page
Journal of Planning Education and ResearchHome page
A. M. Garde
New Urbanism as Sustainable Growth?: A Supply Side Story and Its Implications for Public Policy
Journal of Planning Education and Research, December 1, 2004; 24(2): 154 - 170.
[Abstract] [PDF]


Home page
Environment and BehaviorHome page
J. Kim and R. Kaplan
Physical and Psychological Factors in Sense of Community: New Urbanist Kentlands and Nearby Orchard Village
Environment and Behavior, May 1, 2004; 36(3): 313 - 340.
[Abstract] [PDF]


Home page
Journal of Planning LiteratureHome page
P. R. Berke
Does Sustainable Development Offer a New Direction for Planning? Challenges for the Twenty-First Century
Journal of Planning Literature, August 1, 2002; 17(1): 21 - 36.
[Abstract] [PDF]