SOCIO-PHYSICAL CHARACTERISTICS OF NEIGHBORHOODS AND SENSE OF COMMUNITY IN CORE RESIDENTIAL NEIGHBORHOODS IN AKURE, ONDO STATE, NIGERIA

摘要

This study investigated the influence of neighborhood socio-physical characteristics on sense of community in four core residential neighborhoods in Akure, Nigeria. Previous research on sense of community has suggested a number of interrelated components, which were integrated into this research. For this study, the authors selected four specific residential neighborhoods in the core of Akure. They successfully administered 532 questionnaires across the four neighborhoods and analyzed the results using frequency distribution and categorical regression analysis. The regression analysis confirmed there was a significant relationship between neighborhood physical characteristics and sense of community. Sense of community was also found to be influenced by neighborhood physical quality. Sense of community variables related to trust and residents' sense of belonging to the neighborhood were the strongest predictors of neighborhood physical quality. In addition, the socioeconomic variables age, income, length of residency, tenure status, gender, and marital status were found to be strong predictors of sense of community. The paper concludes that sense of community was positively associated with neighborhood quality and, if well utilized, can result in neighborhood improvement, while neighborhood physical characteristics are an essential tool in building a strong sense of community, particularly in poor residential neighborhoods.