Same Neighbourhood … Different Views? A Confrontation of Internal and External Neighbourhood Reputations

Abstract

Abstract. Residents and non-residents are likely to think differently about a neighbourhood's reputation. Relatively little is known about the similarities and differences between these internal and external types of neighbourhood reputation or the relationship between reputations and 'real' or 'objective' neighbourhood characteristics. This paper addresses two points: first, the extent to which neighbourhood reputations differ between and within groups; second, the extent to which these neighbourhood reputations are associated with measured neighbourhood characteristics. Data from a specially designed survey carried out in 24 neighbourhoods in Utrecht -the fourth largest city in the Netherlands -are used. Analysis of the data showed that neighbourhood reputations are rated higher by residents and estate agents than by other city residents. Within the group of other city residents we found differences in how neighbourhood reputations are rated by socioeconomic status, ethnicity, and educational background. Further, we found that neighbourhood reputations are correlated with measured social characteristics of the neighbourhood, while physical and functional neighbourhood characteristics are of less importance.

Notorious Places: Image, Reputation, Stigma. The Role of Newspapers in Area Reputations for Social Housing Estates

“…they agreed with the statement: 'Many people in Glasgow think this neighbourhood has a bad reputation'-this is akin to what has been called the 'selfreflecting image', the image that residents believe is held by outsiders (Skifter-Andersen, 2008). Research has indicated that residents' assessments of the reputations of their neighbourhoods (the so-called 'internal image') are typically more positive than that held by outsiders (the so-called 'external image') (Permentier et al, 2008). Second, it was found that only a relatively small number of residents in the inner city estates, c. 35 per cent, derived status-related psychosocial benefits from where they lived, i.e.…”

“…Studies of neighbourhood characteristics associated with a perceived negative external reputation among residents (e.g. Permentier et al, 2008) are not the same thing, since this only tells us what influences residents' perceptions, not how beliefs are formed and transmitted, and what the actual nature of those external beliefs is.…”

Local social engagement, satisfaction, and embeddedness in the Netherlands: which effects matter and for whom?

“…First, ethnic groups differ in their assessment of different neighbourhoods as people tend to have a preference for neighbourhoods where the ethnic and socioeconomic characteristics of the majority of the population are similar to their own (Permentier et al, 2008). Neighbourhoods differ in the extent to which they offer their inhabitants the resources and facilities to meet and mingle (Tolsma et al, 2009), and natives, in particular, may receive and exploit these resources and facilities in a more advantageous manner than immigrants.…”

“…This probably relates to the fact that natives differ in their assessment of neighbourhoods compared with immigrants. People generally tend to have a preference for neighbourhoods where the ethnic and socioeconomic characteristics of the majority of the population are similar to their own (Permentier et al, 2008), but our result suggests that ethnic minorities may have a stronger preference for neighbourhoods where the ethnic and socioeconomic characteristics of the majority of the population are similar to their own than do natives and also neighbourhoods with a high ethnic concentration and low economic development may hinder Dutch local social integration, as native Dutch people might feel threatened by the high concentration of ethnic minorities. Overall, our results fail to reject hypothesis 3.…”

Sustainable Urban Property Development and Neighbourhood Dynamics

“…Based on their evidence from Utrecht, fourth largest city in the Netherlands, and one with substantial socio-spatial exclusion problems, Permentier, Van Ham and Bolt [25] conclude that the socioeconomic and ethnic mixture determines the reputation of a neighbourhood, which in turn affects its ability to attract the 'right type' of new residents.…”