Membership in voluntary neighborhood associations and urban revitalization

Abstract

This study examines patterns of membership in neighborhood associations in a revitalized neighborhood in a large midwestern city. The neighborhood is ethnically heterogenous and working class. The research assesses the extent of participation in local associations, its effect on revitalization, and differences between old-timers and newcomers.It was found that affiliation with neighborhood associations is wide spread both among old-timers and newcomers. However, young and affluent newcomers are particularly active. Moreover, whereas old-timers tend to be over-represented in traditional established associations, newcomers are more likely to join avant-garde and activist associations. Finally, membership accounts for residents' perception of their neighborhood and the extent to which they are involved in the revitalization process.The 1970s were a decade in which professionals, academics, and the media described urban areas in apocalyptic terms. The lexicon was one ranging from the "urban crisis" through "ungovernable city" to "death of the city." Cities in general and inner city residential neighborhoods in particular were forecast to be doomed to inevitable physical decline and increasing social and political anarchy (Hauser, 1975;Sternlieb, 1971). Now the more common litany is that the crisis is over, and there is serious possibility of an urban renaissance (Allman, 1978). The "back to the city" and "gentrification" movements are now focuses of media attention. That the "back to the city" label is a misnomer it is more a stay in the city phenomenon -and the term "gentrification" is equally inaccurate, seem to matter little.

Unequal Cities, Unequal Participation: The Effect of Income Inequality on Civic Engagement

“…The age of the region is also accounted for in the analysis. Older residents are more likely to have the means and time to actively participate in local government (Nachmias & Palen, 1982). Therefore, as a region grows older, it is expected to have higher rates of citizen participation.…”

Neighborhood Satisfaction, Expectations, and Urban Revitalization

“…Wilson finds that attributes concerning the quality and type of housing appropriate to a particular socioeconomic level and lifestyle are important considerations in residential location. Other studies show that the presence of friends and kin and affiliation with neighborhood institutions are most influential in residential location decisions (Nachmias and Palen, 1982;Palen and Nachmias, 1984).…”

“…The neighborhood-Riverwest-was initially selected for the study because, among other factors, its demographic and housing characteristics closely parallel those of the city of Milwaukee. Ethnically, Riverwest has a mixture (in declining size) of Germans, Poles, Italians, blacks, and Puerto Ricans (Nachmias and Palen, 1982;Palen and Nachmias, 1984). It contains some 12,000 people living in five census tracts which were built up early in the century as working class areas.…”