Residential preferences, place alienation, and neighborhood satisfaction: A conjoint survey experiment in Toronto’s inner suburbs

Using survey data from seven inner-suburban neighborhoods in Toronto, the authors pursue three research questions: (1) What attributes cause a neighborhood to be more or less desirable? (2) what factors predict individuals’ degree of place alienation? and (3) to what extent does place alienation explain individuals’ satisfaction with their neighborhood? The data shows that as place alienation decreases, neighborhood satisfaction increases — an inverse relationship that has implications for research, policy, and community development practices.

Citation

Silver, Daniel, Prentiss Dantzler, and Kofi Hope. 2023. “Residential Preferences, Place Alienation, and Neighborhood Satisfaction: A Conjoint Survey Experiment in Toronto’s Inner Suburbs.” Journal of Urban Affairs, November, 1–25. doi:10.1080/07352166.2023.2260511.

Abstract

In this article, we study neighborhood preferences among residents of highly diverse, lower income suburban neighborhoods in Toronto, Ontario. By extending the typical application of conjoint designs to the urban domain, we show techniques for measuring place alienation—a sense of disconnection from place—and its impact on neighborhood satisfaction. We find that residents in lower SES neighborhoods share many of the same priorities as residents in higher SES neighborhoods when it comes to safety, transit, school quality, neighborliness, public spaces, and building types. However, differences appear across a range of preferences including bike usage, local commercial spaces, and cultural and recreation facilities. When considering place alienation and neighborhood satisfaction, we find a consistent, robust inverted relationship—as place alienation decreases, neighborhood satisfaction increases. Moreover, this relationship is not mitigated by socioeconomic factors, neighborhood conditions, or even attitudinal and experiential factors. We end with suggestions for future research.

Daniel Silver, Prentiss Dantzler, and Kofi Hope