Evaluation of Neighborhood Satisfaction, the Role of Safety and Sense of CommunityThe Case of Shiraz City

The level of satisfaction that residents have with the neighborhoods in which they live is predicted by individual perceptions, as well as objective measures. While the majority of research has focused on objective factors, here we explore perceived features of neighborhood as predictors of neighborhood satisfaction. The aim of this paper is to recognize and evaluate the social predictors of neighborhood satisfaction based on individual perceptions. Using a sample of 367 respondents, data on neighborhoods were obtained from a citywide survey of neighborhood residents in Shiraz. According to existing literature, safety and sense of community are social characteristics of neighborhood which have the most impact on neighborhood satisfaction. In our study, safety includes 3 indicators: perceived security, experience of crime and disorders, and perceived social control, and sense of community includes 2 indicators: shared memories and social solidarity (with trustworthy neighbors). The ordinal regression results indicated that neighborhood satisfaction is significantly predicted by social measures of neighborhood including perceived security and social control. Results also showed that respondents with more length of residence in the neighborhood are more satisfied with their community.