Does Resident Participation in an Urban Regeneration Project Improve Neighborhood Satisfaction: A Case Study of “Amichojang” in Busan, South Korea

Abstract

One of the keys to successfully facilitating urban regeneration projects is to encourage resident participation, because participation produces more than just outcomes. However, few studies have examined whether the residents' participation in urban regeneration projects also increases residents' neighborhood satisfaction. Seeking to address this gap, our study examines the relationship between urban regeneration projects and residents' satisfaction, focusing on 'Amichojang' in Busan, South Korea. We collect 292 valid survey data and then geocode them based on their specific home address to consider spatial characteristics of their residential locations. We also employ an ordered probit model to account for our dependent variable measured as a five-point Likert scale. Our empirical results show that resident participation in urban regeneration projects is positively associated with improvement of neighborhood satisfaction. This result suggests that encouraging local resident participation in urban regeneration projects is significant for the success of these projects. However, there exist gender and age differences in the relationship between participation and neighborhood satisfaction. Therefore, various programs that can encourage more participation in urban regeneration projects should be designed for different demographic groups.The primary objective of urban regeneration is to address the complex urban dynamics and their problems by improving the economic, physical, social, and environmental conditions of an area that has been subject to change. Hence, these aspects of urban regeneration project are significantly different from simple physical redevelopment and reconstruction projects [3]. This is mostly because of a high degree of complexity and uncertainty in urban regeneration [4].Roberts [4] (p. 18) defined urban regeneration as "comprehensive and integrated vision and action which seeks to resolve urban problems and bring about a lasting improvement in the economic, physical, social and environmental condition of an area that has been subject to change or offers opportunities for improvement". Moreover, other scholars have argued that it aims to transform the nature of communities by involving the local inhabitants and various stakeholders [5,6]. In order to achieve a number of objectives during an urban regeneration project, community participation, and bottom-up approaches are necessary in local areas. This also reinforces the sense of community, solidarity between community members, identity of the neighborhood, and residents' feelings of belonging within the community. Scholars have argued that this paradigm shift from physical redevelopment to urban regeneration for sustainable community development is to enhance residents' subjective well-being, quality of life, and happiness [6].Despite the academic and practical importance of urban regeneration projects, surprisingly, scholars have not paid much attention to the direct effects of urban regeneration projects on the residents' satisfaction. This m...

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