Landscape Components, Land Use, and Neighborhood Satisfaction

Abstract

Neighborhood satisfaction is an important component of life satisfaction. As a contributor to life satisfaction, neighborhood satisfaction is influenced by individual and household background variables. However, there is limited understanding of how physical environments influence neighborhood satisfaction. This paper examines the effect of landscape components (structures, pavement, trees) and land use (residential, commercial, and open space) on neighborhood satisfaction. A survey of 276 respondents in College Station, Texas, was georeferenced and analyzed with landscape components and land-use GIS data. A structural equation model (SEM) examines the relationships among background variables, land use, landscape components, and neighborhood satisfaction simultaneously. Landscape components and land use were both found to play an important role in neighborhood satisfaction. Trees were found to have a positive effect on neighborhood satisfaction while structures were negative. Pavement, when commercial land use and structures in the SEM model were accounted for, shows a positive relationship with neighborhood satisfaction, suggesting that not all pavement is seen as undesirable. Commercial land use was also found to have a negative effect on neighborhood satisfaction, while background variables have no significant impact. The amount and arrangement of land uses and landscape components in neighborhoods may improve the well-being of residents by increasing their neighborhood satisfaction.