Life in the front yard – the reciprocal interaction between residents and the American city

Abstract

ABSTRACT By inhabiting and adapting the public–private interface in front of their homes, residents negotiate their relationship with passersby and public space, seeking to maximize their fit and satisfaction with their broader living environment. This study investigates how residents inhabit and adapt their public–private front yard interface in an urban American neighborhood, and how this process influences residents’ satisfaction and sense of place. The study concludes that most elements that residents place in their front yard positively influence their sense of place, but that especially elements that afford sociability of the public–private interface have an outsize positive influence.