Territorialiteit op woonbuurtvlak: 'n Voorspellende model

Abstract

Actions aimed against undesirable change(s) in neighbourhoods represent an ostensible form of territorial behav­iour, the incidence of which was analysed in so-called “white" residen­tial areas of varying socio-economic status in Pretoria. From the study it appears that people prefer to reside in neighbourhoods where the manageability is such that it either gratifies, or otherwise facilitates the fulfillment of their most important needs. In order to maintain (or to enhance) the desired level of manage­ability of their respective neighbour­hoods, residents resist change which they deem to be undesirable. Territorial perceptions and all these entail, including perceived threats, dif­fer markedly across the spectrum of socio-economic status. A predictive model was constructed from existing literature on the subject, in terms of which territoriality at the neighbourhood-level can be explained. This model was verified with data collected in two questionnaire surveys, two visu­al surveys and a zoning survey. In this manner an explanation is offered from an environmental psychological per­spective for the phenomena of people distancing themselves spatially from undesirable land uses, as well as high-risk crime areas and undesirable social conditions. It is through individual actions aimed at achieving the desired level of manageability that the later is/can be attained at the neighbour­hood-level. In this manner micro ­motives ultimately find spatial expres­sion in the urban mosaic.
*This article is written in Afrikaans.