Community Perspectives on Neighborhood Characteristics and Home-Buying Decisions

This paper analyzes households’ perceptions of neighborhoods according to Brown and Chung’s framework ofMarket-Led Pluralism (M-LP). Using household survey responses from 100 respondents in Columbus, Ohioand Milwaukee, Wisconsin, I empirically test MLP’s utility in understanding consumers’ decision makingprocesses on where to live and who to live with. Consumers from all races/ethnicities ranked these attributessimilarly, closely aligning with the M-LP. The quality of schools, safety of neighborhoods, price andaffordability generally mattered to all consumers. However, African Americans’ perceptions of certainattributes as more valuable than others’ are likely due to their lower socio-economic status and the historicalfactors. Many of these findings, though, get more streamlined along conventional perceptions of races andethnicities, especially when situated within the person-specific responses gathered in open-ended interviews,which have not been reported here. At a broader scale, though, a majority of responses align well with the M-LP. This analysis also points toward the problem that lies not in the way various developments are planned andexecuted, but the missing links that limit the growth of a dynamic urban system in certain locations. A master-plan community developed in collaboration with the city can promote diversity/intermixing and create asustainable community. KeywordsMarket-Led Pluralism, Affordability, Dynamic, Urban system, Sustainable AcknowledgementsAll correspondence regarding this paper must be addressed to Madhuri Sharma, Associate Professor,Department of Geography, University of Tennessee, Knoxville, BGB 416, 1000 Phillip Fulmer Way, Knoxville,Tennessee, 37996; Phone: 865-974-6077; Email: [email protected]. Preliminary version of this work waspresented at the Race, Ethnicity and Place Conference held at Binghamton, NY (2010) and also at the annualmeeting of the American Association of Geographers, held at Las Vegas (2009). Critical comments andsuggestions from the audience were used to improve this manuscript. I also wish to thank Dr. April L. Mather– a colleague and friend from my graduate days at Ohio State University, who read this manuscript andprovided critical insights and English editorial help. This research article is available in International Journal of Geospatial and Environmental Research: https://dc.uwm.edu/ijger/vol5/iss1/3