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UNIT 7UNIT 7

COMMUNITY COMMUNITY ENVIRONMENTAL ENVIRONMENTAL

PSYCHOLOGYPSYCHOLOGY

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What is Neighborhood?What is Neighborhood?

Is a psychological concept:Is a psychological concept: Not every physical or legal area is a

neighborhood. One psychological dimension of

neighborhoods is their spatial-cognitive nature

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What is Neighborhood?What is Neighborhood? Neighborhood has boundaries Neighborhood has boundaries Within Within

these boundaries, neighborhoodthese boundaries, neighborhood may be urban/suburban; may contain industrial, commercial, and/or

residential development; may have underdeveloped areas and/or

developed parks; may be old or new, graced with quiet tree-

lined streets or split by major roads; May include varying percentages of high-rise,

low-rise, and single-family as residences.

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Downtown vs. suburban Downtown vs. suburban Downtown neighborhoods contain more Downtown neighborhoods contain more

mixed land uses, traffic and parking mixed land uses, traffic and parking problems, noise, crowding, stress, danger, problems, noise, crowding, stress, danger, pavement, and mess. e.g, Chow Kit, Pudupavement, and mess. e.g, Chow Kit, Pudu

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Types of Neighborhood:Types of Neighborhood:

The integral neighborhood The parochial neighborhood The anomic neighborhood

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The integral neighborhoodThe integral neighborhood

has much face-to-face interactionhas much face-to-face interaction much cohesiveness from much cohesiveness from

neighborhood support of local neighborhood support of local interest and values, and interest and values, and

much participation in organizations much participation in organizations outside the neighborhood.outside the neighborhood.

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The parochial neighborhoodThe parochial neighborhood

is like the integral neighborhood is like the integral neighborhood except that it has fewer ties to except that it has fewer ties to outside organizationsoutside organizations

it is inwardly facing and may even it is inwardly facing and may even discourage participation in the wider discourage participation in the wider community.community.

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The anomic neighborhoodThe anomic neighborhood

has little face-to-face contact,has little face-to-face contact, little identification and few ties to the little identification and few ties to the

outside world.outside world.

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Neighborhood Neighborhood Satisfaction & AttachmentSatisfaction & Attachment

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What is Satisfaction?What is Satisfaction?What is Confidence?What is Confidence?

Satisfaction is related to neighborhood Satisfaction is related to neighborhood confidenceconfidence

which is positively related to staying instead of moving, and

a greater social cohesion among residents.

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Satisfaction can be measured by Satisfaction can be measured by asking about to what extent of asking about to what extent of positive social relations, clear and positive social relations, clear and symbolic interaction, and strong symbolic interaction, and strong attachment in the neighborhood. attachment in the neighborhood. Asking directlyAsking directly Ask based on several questionsAsk based on several questions

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Neighborhood satisfaction is Neighborhood satisfaction is composed of residents’ satisfaction composed of residents’ satisfaction with the neighborhoods’:with the neighborhoods’: physical conditions, political climate, convenience (e.g., access to schools,

work, and shopping), and social relations

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Factors that influence Factors that influence neighborhood neighborhood satisfaction:satisfaction:

Personal influencesPersonal influences Physical influencesPhysical influences Social and Security influencesSocial and Security influences Cultural influencesCultural influences

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Personal influencesPersonal influences

beliefs of the improvement of their beliefs of the improvement of their current neighborhoodcurrent neighborhood

a higher interest level for their a higher interest level for their neighborhoodneighborhood

they feel at homethey feel at home adaptation to the level of neighborhoodadaptation to the level of neighborhood ownership or rentingownership or renting stage of life. stage of life.

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Physical influencesPhysical influences

Is it noisy, expensive, downtown, Is it noisy, expensive, downtown, split by major transportation routes, split by major transportation routes, smoggy?smoggy?

Other key factors Other key factors visual qualityvisual quality AestheticsAesthetics Green spaceGreen space

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Social and Security Social and Security influencesinfluences Social network can create satisfaction. Social network can create satisfaction.

Safety fears, e.g:Safety fears, e.g: parental concerns about possible traffic

accidents involving children widespread fear of crime (theft, rape, drug

abuse, illegal activities such as gambling and prostitution).

Adakah anda lebih suka membeli rumah di sekitar Chow Kit atau Taman Universiti?

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Cultural influencesCultural influences a congruence between residents’ culturea congruence between residents’ culture the era with which they identifythe era with which they identify the physical form of the communitythe physical form of the community

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Place Identity and Place Place Identity and Place AttachmentAttachment

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Place Identity and Place Place Identity and Place AttachmentAttachment

Refers to:-Refers to:-

individual’s incorporation of place into the larger concept of self.

The special bonds that we develop with certain settings that have deep meaning for us

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Sources of place Sources of place attachmentattachment

Genealogy link persons with places through persons with places through the historical identification of a place with a the historical identification of a place with a family.family.

Loss and destruction sometimes build sometimes build or strengthen place attachment.or strengthen place attachment. Ownership Cosmological place attachment place attachment refers to a refers to a

culture’s religious and mythological views on culture’s religious and mythological views on person-place attachment. person-place attachment.

We may attached to a place where we make a We may attached to a place where we make a pilgrimage

Narrative: place attachment can develop : place attachment can develop through storiesthrough stories

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Community Urbanization and Stress

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Community Urbanization and Community Urbanization and StressStress

Research have found that Research have found that Urban Urban have have higher rates of mental illness: higher rates of mental illness: schizophrenics schizophrenics

William Rohe develop a model of William Rohe develop a model of connection between community design connection between community design and mental health. and mental health. Physical stressors: high density, through

streets, poor upkeep of public places, a lack of community meeting places, and high-rise residences.

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Factors affecting anti-social Factors affecting anti-social behavior in the communitybehavior in the community

1.1. Community DesignCommunity Design

2.2. WeatherWeather

3.3. Air PolutionAir Polution

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1. Community Design 1. Community Design Anti-social Behaviour in the community Anti-social Behaviour in the community

could be due community design.could be due community design. Example:Example:

Crime and vandalism are linked to or Crime and vandalism are linked to or facilitated by certain aspects of the facilitated by certain aspects of the physical nature of a communityphysical nature of a community

Many through street Many through street easy to escape easy to escape Apartments near parking lots and Apartments near parking lots and

recreational areasrecreational areas Taller apartmentsTaller apartments

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How to reduce crimes through community design?

More residential, with few thru’ streets & little public parking To reduce passage by strangers through an area Have less street signs indicate a residential area with more

control by residents Shorter apartments & less units per floor/total units so that

residents know one another & who lives in the building Close some of the entrances to the neighborhood, install speed

bumps to slow down traffic, install gates with the neighborhood logo, divide the community into mini-neighborhoods with physical barriers

Install lights in the darker areas near the main corners Have defensible space characteristics/ design Increases visual surveillability of a building, esp for bank Diversity increases public social interaction among residents,

which thereby helps discourage crime

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2. Weather2. Weather

High temperatures /heat discomfort High temperatures /heat discomfort causes riots and other social causes riots and other social aggression and violenceaggression and violence

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3. Air Pollution3. Air Pollution

Bad odors negatively affect mood and Bad odors negatively affect mood and attraction to others. attraction to others.

A moderately bad odor was found to A moderately bad odor was found to have facilitated aggression. have facilitated aggression.

Higher levels of photochemical Higher levels of photochemical oxidants in the air were correlated oxidants in the air were correlated with more domestic disputes and more with more domestic disputes and more instances of psychiatric disturbanceinstances of psychiatric disturbance

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Factors affecting Helping Factors affecting Helping BevaviorBevavior

1. Weather We help when the weather is nice (?!)

2. Noise Loud noise reduces helping behaviours

3. Number of People Number of bystanders and prosocial

behaviors4. Community Design and the Immediate

Surroundings Women helped more in the complex settings

and men helped more in the simple settings5. Gender - Women are more likely than men to

be cooperative & helpful when the population density is high

6. Disability - Blind person was helped significantly more

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Everyday Behavior in the Everyday Behavior in the communitycommunity

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Everyday Behavior in the Everyday Behavior in the communitycommunity

1.1. WatchingWatching

2.2. WalkingWalking

3.3. Hanging OutHanging Out

4.4. Familiar StrangersFamiliar Strangers

5.5. ShoppingShopping

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1. Watching1. WatchingWatching – by three modes

Responsive mode We look in a receptive, passive manner and see people

and things as a sensory experience, almost as a form of entertainment or recreation

Operational Mode We look in a problem-solving way We look around with purpose – look for signs and

familiar landmarksInferential Mode

We look at the community as a medium of communication.

We look for social messages and make our inferences of the objects different from others.

We see an empty lot, the developer sees a building site

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2. Walking2. Walking

Walking Velocity: V = .86 log P + .05, where V is velocity in feet per second and P is the population of the community.

However, pedestrian velocities was found to be reliably vary from the overall average under certain conditions.

Making decision: When people walk, they also make many

decisions, most of which are hardly conscious E.g., when and where to cross the street.

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3. 3. Hanging OutHanging Out

Often occurs in the fourth environment (anywhere except home, playgrounds, other places meant for kids.)

Homeless and poor people also hang out on the streets

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4. 4. Familiar StrangersFamiliar Strangers

e.g., commuters, pedestrians, shoppers, passengers.

Familiar strangers could lead us to help them in emergency because we know them for years

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5.5. ShoppingShopping

The Environmental Psychology of The Environmental Psychology of ShoppingShopping Shopping is an essential human activity. It has the following functions:

Social Recreational Utilitarian

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Forces that shape our shoppingForces that shape our shopping Location, Size, and Attractiveness

Most shoppers choose the closest store that stocks what they want to buy. In general, they will select the largest store.

Gravitation Model If all other factors are equal, consumers gravitate to larger stores and to closer stores.

Attractiveness of the product

Layout spatial layout of supermarket

Be more sensitive to the social needs of shoppers

Emotional Impact

Store-induced pleasure and arousal

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Forces that shape our Forces that shape our shoppingshopping

Density

Crowding in the shopping environment is another physical setting influence on consumer behavior

Display

Purchasing is affected by how goods are displayed. Shelf-height, end-aisle placement, and location within the store may affect normal buying and impulsive buying

Music

Slow music encourages shoppers to stay longer and to shop more goods

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What is Community What is Community Environmental Design?Environmental Design?

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Community Environmental Community Environmental DesignDesign

Renovations to reduce fear of crime and actual crime: assigned as much public space to the control

of specific families, using both substantial and symbolic fencing

reduced the number of pedestrian routes through project and improved lighting along the paths

improved the project’s image and encouraged a sense of personal ownership by resurfacing the dwellings, giving different colors to individual dwellings

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Plazas as Social SpacePlazas as Social Space Plazas become more useful as the Plazas become more useful as the

number of amenities risenumber of amenities rise Features of successful plazas:Features of successful plazas:

sittable space, water (fountains and pools), food stands, accessible food outlets trees, activities to watch (jugglers, mimes, and buskers) sitting with sunny orientation (or a shady

orientation in hot cities), provide shelter from wind, located on busy streets rather than hidden away

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Bringing a neighborhood to Life Bringing a neighborhood to Life

Sidney Brower’s guidelines: Sidney Brower’s guidelines:

1. 1. Keep the street front alive 2. Give residents things to do and places to be 3. Reduce the speed and number of cars 4. Residences should open to street, not from some central courtyard 5. Make parks more attractive to adults 6. Distinguish between home-based recreation

and park activities