This study focuses on homeowners' satisfaction with their neighborhoods, which is a major factor associated with a strong sense of community. Beginning with the assumption that there are neighborhood factors that influence residents' satisfaction and that these factors differ between satisfactory and unsatisfactory areas in a city, the authors use regression analysis to examine the relationships. Regression analysis showed that 14 variables were significantly related to neighborhood satisfaction. An analysis that focused on the satisfactory group of neighborhoods had a similar result. However, analysis that focused on the unsatisfactory group showed noticeable differences. For instance, safety and social problems were much more significant influences than physical factors in neighborhood satisfaction in unsatisfactory areas.

Much research on residential mobility relies on examining people's choices within the context of what is available in a local housing market. However, it is difficult to determine the demand for alternative housing or neighborhood types that may not be available or are available only in limited quantities. Hence, the market may not accurately reveal consumer preferences for such alternatives.We estimate a discrete choice model of neighborhood choice by using data from a choice-based conjoint analysis survey that allows us to vary characteristics experimentally. The model is used to determine consumer preferences for neotraditional neighborhood design features, including neighborhood layout, housing density, surrounding open space, and commuting time, while holding other characteristics, including school quality and neighborhood safety, constant. The results indicate that the neotraditional design with higher density is less preferred on average, but that niche marketing, additional open space, or other amenities can overcome its negative effects.

Relatively little of the work on natural disasters has focused on people who do not return to their pre-disaster homes. This study uses Annual Housing Survey data from 1974 through 1981 to examine moving households who attribute their moves to a natural disaster. The focus is on three issues: the characteristics of the movers and their recovery; a comparison with other involuntary movers (i.e., public and private displacees); and the amount of innovating or conserving behavior shown by different groups of movers and the impact of these behaviors on each group's recovery after the move. The paper compares disaster movers to all movers and to other forced movers. Distinct differences between the groups in their characteristics and housing recovery exist. The paper concludes with suggestions for continued analysis and policy implications.

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