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

Abstract

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.

Silent Walk as a street mobilization: Campaigning following the Grenfell Tower fire

“…Another contribution of this study is related to the functions of spaces. Consistent with the recent social psychology literature (Bettencourt, Castro, & Dixon, 2021), we found that the history of the spaces and knowledge about the spaces play a vital role in the identity processes of residents. However, instead of considering spaces as contested between groups and intergroup conflict (Dixon et al, 2020), our study adds to the literature by suggesting that spaces are a basis for collective action.…”