Can regenerated inner‐city areas remain sites of public‐place sociability? Psycho‐social processes predicting public sociability in a changing neighbourhood

Bibliographic Data

ID12396552
AuthorsLeonor Bettencourt (0000-0003-0882-9078, Instituto Universitário de Lisboa (ISCTE‐IUL) Lisbon Portugal, corresponding author), P Castro (0000-0002-7396-7373, Instituto Universitário de Lisboa (ISCTE‐IUL) Lisbon Portugal), John Dixon (0000-0002-3972-6437, School of Psychology Open University UK)
Year2020
Volume31
Issue1
Pages9-25
Publication date2020-08-16
Peer ReviewedYes
Open AccessYes
TypeARTICLE
VenueJournal of Community & Applied Social Psychology (JOURNAL)
Journal identifiersISSN: 1052-9284 • E-ISSN: 1099-1298
PublisherWiley (PUBLISHER • GB)
DOI10.1002/casp.2480
OpenAlexW3059496562
LanguageEN
Citations received4
References cited38

The processes of urban regeneration of long‐disinvested inner‐city neighbourhoods today happening in many European cities sometimes dramatically transform residents' traditional uses of their public places. Focusing on a neighbourhood renowned for its traditional public place sociability – Mouraria, in Lisbon – this study explored the psychosocial processes that may shape the maintenance of that sociability in the face of increasing social diversification and small‐scale gentrification brought about by a mixed/bottom‐up regeneration plan. A questionnaire survey ( n = 201) with two types of residents (“traditional residents” and “new gentrifiers”) indicated that: (a) both types report using Mouraria's public places for socializing, although traditional residents do so to a greater degree; (b) perceived cultural continuity of the neighbourhood is positively related to public place sociability for both groups; and (c) this relationship is mediated by both place identification and place knowledge; but (d) it is not moderated by type of resident. By implication, we argue that regenerated inner‐city neighbourhoods may remain as places of lively public sociability and companionship if residents are able to forge and/or retain a sense of identification with, and intimate knowledge of, the neighbourhood, and view it as maintaining continuity with the past

Economic growth · Gentrification · Neighbourhood (mathematics · Place attachment · Psychosocial · Residence · Sense of place · Social science · Sociology · Community Health and Development · Place Attachment and Urban Studies · Psychology · Social Psychology · Urban Green Space and Health

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