Defining Neighborhoods

Interconnection, localized identity, human scale, adjacency, access, the need for a graspable spatial unit to belong to—these are the regularities of urban experience that establish a durable foundation for the traditional concept of neighborhood. Neighborhoods are often defined by arbitrary lines on a map, lacking real meaning or power. This course reviews neighborhood-building strategies that are incremental, resident controlled, and planner enabled. This course reviews the varying definitions of neighborhoods and examines methods for defining a physical basis and tangible meaning to neighborhoods based on the location of neighborhood centers, boundaries, and spatial extents.