Authors: D Walton S J Murray J A Thomas
Publish Date: 2008/02/08
Volume: 89, Issue: 3, Pages: 405-420
Abstract
Two overseas surveybased scales measuring perceived quality of neighbourhood were adapted and replicated in a New Zealand context An Italian study Bonaiuto Fornara and Bonnes 2003 Landscape and Urban Planning 65 41–52 measuring Perceived Residential Environmental Quality PREQ and an American study Carp and Carp 1982 Journal of Environmental Psychology 2 295–312 using the Perceived Environmental Quality Indices PEQI were applied to a sample of Auckland residents separated into low medium and high population density areas The surveys measured attitudes towards subjects such as noise neighbours accessibility green areas welfare services recreational services safety maintenance environmental health transport services and characteristics of an ideal neighbourhood and were completed by 369 respondents Primary analyses examined differences in perception across the three density groups The factor structures of both scales were replicated with the Auckland sample and differences across densities were found for subscales of the PREQ The results are discussed in relation to the crosscultural similarities of perceived environmental quality and the concept that environmental satisfaction is based on balancing aspects of the residential environment is proposed
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