Experiential Definitions of Neighborhood Boundaries: A Participatory Mapping Study in Chicago, IL
Location
SU-214
Department
Geography and Environmental Studies
Abstract
Beyond the political borders that functionally delineate one area from the next, definitions of “home,” “neighborhood,” and “community,” are often informed by an inherent yet subconscious intimacy with one’s most immediate area. These familiar spaces are shaped by the places where we most frequently walk, buy food, or run errands; familiar smells, sounds, sights, and routines; our block club, school district, or neighbors. While it would be unlikely that every single person living in the same local space could come to a consensus on the centralizing neighborhood features, or exactly where one edge of the community stops and the next one begins, each experiences a degree of intimacy and holds knowledge by virtue of their residence. In this study, I explore the conditional and porous nature of neighborhood borders and boundaries informed by participant identities, experiences, and abilities. I investigate two different areas within the greater Chicago area: the community areas of Rogers Park, Edgewater, and Uptown on the Far North Side, and Austin and its neighboring suburb of Oak Park on the far West Side. The main goal of this thesis project is to determine whether this person-level intimacy reflects a collective geographical narrative of local space. Integrating participatory mapping and qualitative analysis of semi-structured interviews, this research study aims to answer the specific question, to what extent are resident experiences and perceptions defining or being defined by the social, political, or natural boundaries and borders of a neighborhood, and what other factors might contribute to shaping its spatial limitations? Preliminary results will be discussed in the context of effective methodologies for grassroots data collection, translations of participatory geographical data between analog and digital platforms, and the potential for comprehensive spatial data that extends beyond the boundaries of colonial organizational systems.
Faculty Sponsor
Melinda Storie
Experiential Definitions of Neighborhood Boundaries: A Participatory Mapping Study in Chicago, IL
SU-214
Beyond the political borders that functionally delineate one area from the next, definitions of “home,” “neighborhood,” and “community,” are often informed by an inherent yet subconscious intimacy with one’s most immediate area. These familiar spaces are shaped by the places where we most frequently walk, buy food, or run errands; familiar smells, sounds, sights, and routines; our block club, school district, or neighbors. While it would be unlikely that every single person living in the same local space could come to a consensus on the centralizing neighborhood features, or exactly where one edge of the community stops and the next one begins, each experiences a degree of intimacy and holds knowledge by virtue of their residence. In this study, I explore the conditional and porous nature of neighborhood borders and boundaries informed by participant identities, experiences, and abilities. I investigate two different areas within the greater Chicago area: the community areas of Rogers Park, Edgewater, and Uptown on the Far North Side, and Austin and its neighboring suburb of Oak Park on the far West Side. The main goal of this thesis project is to determine whether this person-level intimacy reflects a collective geographical narrative of local space. Integrating participatory mapping and qualitative analysis of semi-structured interviews, this research study aims to answer the specific question, to what extent are resident experiences and perceptions defining or being defined by the social, political, or natural boundaries and borders of a neighborhood, and what other factors might contribute to shaping its spatial limitations? Preliminary results will be discussed in the context of effective methodologies for grassroots data collection, translations of participatory geographical data between analog and digital platforms, and the potential for comprehensive spatial data that extends beyond the boundaries of colonial organizational systems.