Neighborhood Well-being Research Articles

Developing Place Attachment in Master-Planned Residential Estates in Sydney: The Influence of Neighbourhood Parks

Master-Planned Residential Estate (MPRE) is an integrated housing development form in Australia. MPREs are aimed to build a sense of place attachment and community via the provision of environmental and social infrastructure. Neighbourhood parks are regarded as a significant built environmental factor linked to residents’ place attachment and well-being in the literature. Understanding place attachment is crucial for promoting residents’ well-being in neighbourhoods and enhancing the attractiveness of real estates in the housing market. However, we know little about how place attachment is facilitated for park users in neighbourhoods. The psychological process of place attachment in MPREs is unclear in the literature, with a particular lack of qualitative studies in this area. This study explored the psychological process of place attachment and its associations with neighbourhood parks in MPREs in Sydney via a qualitative case study. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 16 residents residing in two selected MPREs in Sydney during the COVID-19 pandemic in 2022. Interviews found three themes and several subthemes regarding the process of place attachment for park users in MPREs: affect (emotional bonds), behaviour (place-related fulfilment of needs, place-related social bonds, and community participation), and cognition (membership of the community, place-related memory, and cultural significance). This study contributes to understanding place attachment and human-environment relations in sustainable neighbourhoods by adding new items into place attachment models from the perspective of MPREs in Sydney. It provides valuable qualitative evidence gathered during the COVID-19 pandemic. The findings furnish empirical insights for policymakers, developers, and urban planners involved in sustainable neighbourhoods’ development and housing management in Sydney and global regions.

Operationalizing the Capabilities Approach to Understand Neighborhood Well-Being in a Participatory Action Research Study

The capabilities approach is useful for evaluating progress toward the just city. We report how a Participatory Action Research consortium studying neighborhood change and well-being designed a survey instrument measuring respondents’ ability to fulfill a set of common life priorities. We present data on priority endorsement and fulfillment, and conduct a factor analysis to explore the underlying structure of the instrument. We argue that the instrument operationalizes the capabilities approach and serves as a model for using participatory methods to evaluate the impact of planning interventions on social justice and health equity.

Reciprocal Neighborhood Dynamics in Gun Violence Exposure, Community Health, and Concentrated Disadvantage in One Hundred US Cities

Gun violence imparts a tremendous human and financial toll on local communities. Researchers have documented extensive mental and physical health consequences of generalized violence exposure but few studies have analyzed the particular impacts of gun violence on community well-being using nationally comprehensive data. We leverage a unique database of almost 16,000 neighborhoods in 100 US cities (2014–2019) to examine how year-over-year rates of gun violence correspond to overall neighborhood well-being and three aspects of community health: (1) health behaviors, (2) physical and mental health status, and (3) health prevention efforts. We simultaneously consider the reciprocal influence of neighborhood well-being on subsequent gun violence while accounting for concentrated disadvantage in communities. The results demonstrate that gun violence is associated with poorer community health in subsequent years, particularly health behaviors and mental/physical health status. Furthermore, we find substantial reciprocal effects for both gun violence and community health in their relationship to neighborhood concentrated disadvantage. These findings highlight the consequential role of gun violence in perpetuating cycles of harm in local communities.

Supermarket Store Locations as a Proxy for Neighbourhood Health, Wellbeing, and Wealth

The “Waitrose effect” captures the notion that the presence of stores operated by Waitrose, an upmarket UK grocer, increases the value of nearby real estate. This paper considers the broader relationship between Waitrose store locations and neighbourhood type by comparing the health and wealth of neighbourhoods with and without access to Waitrose stores in England. Whilst we do not seek to imply causality, we demonstrate better health, wellbeing, and wealth in neighbourhoods falling within a Waitrose store catchment. In those neighbourhoods, median home prices were almost 2.5 times higher (in urban neighbourhoods) compared to neighbourhoods served only by other major grocers, which formed our control groups. Neighbourhoods in Waitrose catchment areas fare better on indicators of health too. In urban neighbourhoods falling within a Waitrose store catchment (accounting for 98% of Waitrose catchment neighbourhoods), residents are more likely to self-report very good health than those in our largest control groups. The prevalence of mood and anxiety disorders is also significantly lower in those neighbourhoods than in the control groups. Our findings strongly suggest that the presence or absence of a specific retailer (in this case, Waitrose, a mature and well-established chain) could serve as a proxy for neighbourhood characteristics. This could supplement existing multivariate indicators of neighbourhood type. We recommend more research to identify the extent to which locations of a single retail chain—across a variety of sectors—can encode neighbourhood health, wellbeing, and wealth. If the patterns observed with Waitrose stores hold true for other retailers, then the mix of retail stores within a given locality could serve as a useful proxy for neighbourhood type, with the potential for the change in retail mix to highlight changes in neighbourhood characteristics or composition.

Resident-reported measurements of neighborhood characteristics: a scoping review

Abstract Purpose Because of the growing emphasis on place-based interventions to improve health, we sought to identify commonly measured, resident-reported neighborhood characteristics for use in evaluation studies. Methods A review was conducted of resident-reported neighborhood indicators in 27 published PubMed articles and eight non-academic gray literature sources. Neighborhood domains and items were evaluated across the literature to identify patterns in resident reporting on neighborhoods. Results A diverse range of survey items across reviewed literature comprised the following broad domains: physical conditions, social conditions, community resources, social agency, and neighborhood dynamics. Academic and gray literature varied in their assessments’ focus and the populations considered, with gray literature exploring a wider array of persons, such as those with disability, and positive aspects of neighborhoods. In general, there was a lack of a cohesive framework for measuring neighborhood well-being and no clear agreement on appropriate language and key definitions. Measures relevant to the elderly were largely absent from the US literature. Conclusions Most published articles on neighborhood measurement were derived from the criminology and sociology literature on the origins of violence and poverty. Their measures reflected this negative orientation. Gray literature included a broader perspective on neighborhoods and consideration of alternative populations such as the elderly and people with disability. This review’s identification of common metrics in neighborhood domains paves the way for building consolidated and standardized neighborhood measurement tools that will also fill current gaps in the literature, such as those concerning elderly residents or those with disabilities.

Modeling the Neighborhood Wellbeing of Townships in South Africa

Townships in South Africa are characterized by underdeveloped urban neighborhoods on the periphery of cities, where their inhabitants suffer from a poor quality of life. Given the relative lack of empirical research on the wellbeing of people living in townships in South Africa, this study attempts to fill the gap by understanding and modeling the relationships between household socioeconomic characteristics, housing and neighborhood conditions, and individual and community wellbeing to develop and empirically validate a neighborhood wellbeing framework. The hypothesized associations from the wellbeing framework were tested using 389 household interviews of the three largest townships in South Africa. The findings identify the challenges associated with adequate housing and lack of infrastructure in townships and how these affect the wellbeing of individuals and communities. The conclusion demonstrates how the neighborhood wellbeing framework, as an interdisciplinary approach, can improve the quality of life of inhabitants and communities in urban neighborhoods in general.

Cadmium, Lead, Chronic Physiological Stress and Endometrial Cancer: How Environmental Policy Can Alter the Exposure of At-Risk Women in the United States.

The health and life outcomes of individuals are intertwined with the context in which they grow and live. The totality of exposures one experiences affects health in the short term and throughout the life course. Environmental exposure to multiple contaminants can increase stress levels in individuals and neighborhoods with psychosocial stressors such as crime, drug and alcohol misuse, and violence also taking a toll on individual and neighborhood wellbeing. In addition, the availability, organization, and quality of local institutions and infrastructure all affect health in the short and long term. The role of these factors in endometrial cancer will be explored in this paper. In addition, policy implications regarding lead, chronic physiological stress, and endometrial cancer will be explored to ascertain the impact of these factors on at-risk women.

State infrastructure and neighborhood well-being in urbanizing China

ABSTRACT Urbanization involves a process of state building. As manifest in its infrastructure, the state shapes its interactions with citizens. In this study, we link fine-grained geo-referenced points-of-interest (POI) data of government agencies with the 2018 Urbanization and Quality of Life Survey conducted in 40 localities experiencing rural-urban transition, and investigate how the presence of state infrastructure is associated with neighborhood well-being in China during a period of rapid urbanization. Our findings confirm that urbanization contributes to the expansion of local state: there is more evidence of state infrastructure per capita in newly urbanized areas than in potential sites of urbanization. Moreover, the association between state infrastructure and neighborhood well-being varies based on the type of government institution and the type of neighborhood. The presence of administrative infrastructure is positively associated with neighborhood satisfaction, which is likely due to residents’ easier access to public services. In contrast, there is a negative association between coercive infrastructure and neighborhood satisfaction, but less so for urban neighborhoods than rural villages. The research provides nationwide evidence that the process of urbanization increases the state reach as well as its influence on local governance, but the effects of this influence vary considerably.

CO-CREATING WITH OLDER PEOPLE CULTURALLY SENSITIVE INCLUSION/EXCLUSION MEASURES

Abstract This paper demonstrates a research approach to co-creating social and wellbeing indicator scales through a qualitative methodology, and then applying them in survey format to develop quantitative statistical correlation and regression analysis. We have been co-creating with older Māori (indigenous New Zealanders) a range of scales that more adequately address their notions of wellbeing, social connection, loneliness, discrimination, abuse, and neighbourhood wellbeing than the standard universal scales commonly used in most research. They are designed to be much more inclusive of participants’ worldview and provide more authentic and accurate evidence for policy making and service provision. They draw on the knowledge and experience of the participant communities and reflect their understanding of the indicators. We compare the results with the more common universal indicators and highlight both the universal aspects of each indicator and the culturally specific features to provide more fine-tuned results for policy making and service provision.

Clean Spaces, Community Building, and Urban Stage: the Coproduction of Health and Parks in Low-Income Neighborhoods

Green zones are potential contributors to health by mitigating disparities between low- and high-income neighborhoods. Against the background of different discourses about city parks—parks as restorative environments, parks as enabling places, and parks as sites for encounters between strangers—we ethnographically studied the coproduction of green spaces and health within low-income neighborhoods. We found three competing notions of urban green, each tied to different notions of neighborhood well-being. Parks as “clean spaces” create expectations of order and peace; parks as places of the community are related to play and activities; and parks as urban stage foster interactions between strangers. By generating experiences that encompass different conceptions of health, citizen-led events can contribute to a shift in the understanding of parks as sites of neighborhood decline to parks as places of hope and new beginnings.

Does public space have to be green to improve well-being? An analysis of public space across Greater London and its association to subjective well-being

Urban public space has been associated with increased physical activity, social interaction, neighbourhood cohesion and subjective well-being. Yet, the vast majority of literature focuses on green and blue space, excluding the potential therapeutic value of “hard-surfaced” public space, such as a civic or market square. Therefore, for the first time in the public space literature, we quantify hard-surfaced public space's variation across a major city (Greater London). We merge this with data on residents' well-being (taken from the Understanding Society Survey Wave 6, n = 3684). Using a multivariate linear model, we initially found no direct association between hard space and well-being, whilst we found a significant positive correlation for green space. Interaction effects of 1) the perception of neighbourhood safety and 2) housing tenure, were then considered. Hard space was significantly positively correlated to well-being in high-safety neighbourhoods, yet this relationship was inversed in low-safety areas. This interaction effect was especially large and significant for social housing residents, who seem to reap the greatest benefits from, but are also most susceptible to the dangers of, hard-surfaced space. It is suggested that hard space, through its ability to foster pro-social behaviour, may be related to well-being through separate causal mechanisms than green space.

Making health public: a philosophy café in a disadvantaged neighbourhood.

Community Based Participatory Research (CBPR) provides important insights in how to mobilize a community for health promotion. This article explores the possibilities for shifting the frame from community to publics for building new forms of public health engagement in disadvantaged neighbourhoods. We present the results of an ethnographic research project on health and resilience in three low-income neighbourhoods in Maastricht, the Netherlands. In the context of a broader University-Citizens collaboration, citizens and researchers organized a monthly philosophy café to discuss subjects related to health and wellbeing. We analyse this in terms of public building and argue that shifting the perspective from community to publics strengthens the emancipatory tradition within CBPR. By creating an open setting, accommodating diversity and disagreements between its participants, the philosophy café constituted a local epistemic public, generating knowledge on health and wellbeing in disadvantaged neighbourhoods.

AB038. Neighbourhood health niche and well-being related behaviour change after coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic

AB038. Neighbourhood health niche and well-being related behaviour change after coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic

Unhealthy lifestyles, environment, well-being and health capability in rural neighbourhoods: a community-based cross-sectional study

BackgroundNon-communicable diseases are a leading cause of health loss worldwide, in part due to unhealthy lifestyles. Metabolic-based diseases are rising with an unhealthy body-mass index (BMI) in rural areas as the main risk factor in adults, which may be amplified by wider determinants of health. Changes in rural environments reflect the need of better understanding the factors affecting the self-ability for making balanced decisions. We assessed whether unhealthy lifestyles and environment in rural neighbourhoods are reflected into metabolic risks and health capability.MethodsWe conducted a community-based cross-sectional study in 15 Portuguese rural neighbourhoods to describe individuals’ health functioning condition and to characterize the community environment. We followed a qualitatively driven mixed-method design to gather information about evidence-based data, lifestyles and neighbourhood satisfaction (incorporated in eVida technology), within a random sample of 270 individuals, and in-depth interviews to 107 individuals, to uncover whether environment influence the ability for improving or pursuing heath and well-being.ResultsMen showed to have a 75% higher probability of being overweight than women (p-value = 0.0954); and the reporting of health loss risks was higher in women (RR: 1.48; p-value = 0.122), individuals with larger waist circumference (RR: 2.21; IC: 1.19; 4.27), overweight and obesity (RR: 1.38; p-value = 0.293) and aged over 75 years (RR: 1.78; p-value = 0.235; when compared with participants under 40 years old). Metabolic risks were more associated to BMI and physical activity than diet (or sleeping habits). Overall, metabolic risk linked to BMI was higher in small villages than in municipalities. Seven dimensions, economic development, built (and natural) environment, social network, health care, demography, active lifestyles, and mobility, reflected the self-perceptions in place affecting the individual ability to make healthy choices. Qualitative data exposed asymmetries in surrounding environments among neighbourhoods and uncovered the natural environment and natural resources specifies as the main value of rural well-being.ConclusionsMetabolic risk factors reflect unhealthy lifestyles and can be associated with environment contextual-dependent circumstances. People-centred approaches highlight wider socioeconomic and (natural) environmental determinants reflecting health needs, health expectations and health capability. Our community-based program and cross-disciplinary research provides insights that may improve health-promoting changes in rural neighbourhoods.

Neighborhood, neighborliness, and family and child well-being.

Although neighborhood context is a well-recognized factor in the well-being of children and families, little systematic research exists to guide inquiries into the intersection of neighborhood social processes and child and family well-being. Moreover, despite the increased popularity of neighborhood effects research over the last several decades, crucial questions around the debate on how to align research findings with tangible experiences for children and families remain open. This article reviews selected studies that linked neighborhood factors to specific domains of child and family well-being: parenting, safety, health, and educational outcomes. By focusing on neighborliness, a particular form of neighboring, the study aims to shift the focus from macrolevel indicators of neighborhood context, to a more dynamic set of attributes that characterize neighborhood life, with the hope of inspiring others to build upon the findings and begin to translate the conclusions to meaningful policies and programs. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2021 APA, all rights reserved).

Blooming alleys for better health: Exploring impacts of small-scale greenspaces on neighborhood wellbeing

Rapid urbanization has decreased opportunities for nature contact while increasing stressors from pollution, strenuous commutes, and sedentary work environments. With an additional 2.5 billion people expected to reside in cities by 2050, novel solutions are required to integrate urban natures. Urban parks and greenways provide opportunities for restorative nature experiences, but the benefits of small-scale greenspace remain relatively unstudied. Subsequently, this study explores perceived wellbeing associated with residing near ‘green alleys.’ Focus groups and interviews revealed most respondents did not identify specific mental health impacts, but factors known to contribute to mental wellbeing emerged. Results indicate that green-alley residents receive health benefits regardless of their explicit recognition. Implications for urban planners include the need for increased intentional greening of small-scale urban spaces with consideration to residents’ aesthetic preferences.

Sleep Characteristics, Neighborhood Factors, Function, Mood, and Well-Being in Older Adults With Dementia

The number of people with dementia is increasing worldwide. Circadian rhythm disorders and sleep problems are very common in this population and can have profound effects on well-being. Healthy Patterns Clinical Trial (NCT03682185) is a home-based activity intervention designed to improve circadian rhythm disorders and quality of life in people with dementia and their family caregivers. This symposium is designed to discuss the relationship between sleep characteristics and neighborhood environment, function, and psychological well-being in people with dementia. All analyses in this session were conducted on baseline data from participants enrolled in the Healthy Patterns Clinical Trial. We enrolled 170 individuals (67% female), aged (73.35 ± 8.74) with mean Clinical Dementia Rating (CDR) scores of (0.74 ± 0.51). Session 1 describes the role of neighborhood factors as influencing factors affecting sleep. Session 2 focuses on the relationship between sleep and mood. Session 3 focuses on the relationship between sleep and function. Session 4 focuses on the relationship between sleep and quality of life. Implications for future research and intervention development for people with dementia will be discussed.

Physical and Social Neighborhood Environments and Well-Being

Existing research has found effects of neighborhood environment on well-being. However, it is still not clear what features of neighborhood environments affect well-being for older adults and whether the impact of the environment varies depending on the health and economic conditions. In this study, we examined the relations between 4 physical and social neighborhood-context factors, that is, the availability of neighborhood physical resources (e.g. community centers and libraries), the walkability and accessibility, the availability of social resources (e.g. culture and recreation programs, and social care services), and the social inclusion (e.g. participation in decision making, and positive social attitude toward older adults), and individual-level well-being. Moreover, we examined the health and economic disparities of effect of neighborhood environments on well-being. We used data from locally representative longitudinal study of older Japanese aged 74 to 86 (N = 1388). Results from multi-level linear regression showed that after controlling individual variables having inhibitory/facilitatory effects of well-being, the availability of physical resources was associated with higher well-being score. Especially among older adults who had financial strains, the availability of physical environment had a positive effect on well-being more strongly. For older adults who had better physical functions, accessibility and walkability were associated with higher well-being score. The social inclusiveness was associated with higher well-being score among those who had no financial strain. These important findings demonstrate the need for more research exploring the underlying mechanisms. The potential benefits of this approach provide a basis for developing models of maintaining well-being for older adults.

Sharing place and space to promote wellbeing for old and young people in a neighbourhood

Abstract The increasing number of older people in many countries is often seen as a burden. Alternatively, these numbers can be seen as a longevity dividend, providing a resource for our communities. We sought to find a way to use the resource by working with schools in a range of socio- economic neighbourhoods & explore the benefit for all stakeholders & the sustainability of such an approach. The issues we addressed are of relevance in most of Europe, despite the variations in the school systems. Intergen is the name of the model developed over 20 years in England. 3 schools in a neighbourhood work in partnership.An older person is appointed by the school to recruit older people in the neighbourhood with the skills and knowledge the schools require to enhance the learning opportunities of their pupils.Coordinators in each school meet once a term to review progress, problems & organise a social gathering for volunteers. All stakeholders' views of the value of the programme were collected. Key questions to be answered are: Can older people be a resource for pupils to improve performance & wellbeing in both the younger & older populations?Is the model sustainable and affordable?How can it be mainstreamed? Results 26 schools, primary and secondary in 7 municipalities engaged in the project after 10 years development phase with 10 schools in one municipality. Schools in London and Greater Manchester areas. 15 schools remained in the programme paying for the service for 5 years. A review of the impact of the programme showed all head teachers thought it innovative, & made a difference in their pupils' wellbeing. Older people were seen as a positive resource by both teachers & pupils. Older people felt valued & part of community. Reduction of negative stereotypes occurred. Interactions went beyond the operational tasks set for the older people. Only a public health approach can promote sustainability of the model & its benefits for communities. Key messages A tried and tested model sharing place and space to promote wellbeing in neighbourhoods for old and young citizens. The important role of Public Health in promoting innovative practice in silo ridden health and social care systems building the evidence base and building bridges.

The U.S. Racial Structure and Ethno-Racial Inequality in Urban Neighborhood Crime, 2010–2013

Stark ethno-racial differences in reported neighborhood crime are a major facet of contemporary U.S. inequality. However, the most generalizable research on neighborhood inequality in crime across cities is only for 2000. Many of the underpinnings of crime have changed since 2000—increases in socioeconomic segregation, the Great Recession and attendant housing crisis, the continuation of the crime decline, shifting trends in incarceration and other types of social control, and small decreases in racial residential segregation. We provide a much-needed assessment of whether ethno-racial reported neighborhood crime disparities have increased, remained stable, or decreased in the contemporary period. We invoke a racial structural perspective that traces ethno-racial disparities in neighborhood crime to the divergent community conditions emblematic of the U.S. racial hierarchy. Using newly collected data for 8,557 neighborhoods in 71 large U.S. cities for 2010–2013, we demonstrate that violent and property crime is lower in White, African American, Latino, minority, and multiethnic neighborhoods than in 2000. However, smaller relative decreases in African American neighborhoods widened the relative crime gap from other ethno-racial communities. Supporting the racial structural perspective, large ethno-racial inequalities in neighborhood well-being account for most of the crime gaps, with disadvantage and residential lending being most important. This suggests that non-White neighborhoods need economic investments to reduce the harmful and inequitable consequences of neighborhood crime.