Residential quality assessment: A conceptual model and empirical test

This paper presents a model for the study of perceived residential quality based on the conept that qualities are the criteria by which people evaluate their neighborhood. The assessment of neighborhood attributes is characterized by three groups of variables: qualities, resources and qualities with respect to specific resources. This categorization is presented in a two dimensional matrix which provides for a systematic selection of variables before a study is undertaken, and straightforward analytical procedures once the data are registered. The concept of “qualities as criteria” coupled with the matrix framework provoke the creative search for alternative resources to compensate for deficient qualities in the neighborhood context. Results of applying the model in five deprived neighborhoods in Israel are presented.