The context of diversity: A study of six Chicago neighbourhoods

Depending on how diversity is defined, every city has at least some neighbourhoods that are diverse, despite the enduring reality that American cities tend to be highly segregated. This paper investigates six socially diverse neighbourhoods in Chicago from the perspective of the residents who live there. The specific focus is on the interaction between residents and physical form, spatial pattern, and the location and function of civic institutions. Six neighbourhoods in Cook County were selected that are simultaneously diverse along four dimensions: age, income, family type and race/ethnicity. From February to June 2006, tape-recorded interviews were conducted of 85 residents in the six neighbourhoods identified as being highly diverse on multiple dimensions. Residents were surveyed about their familiarity with, and opinions about, social diversity, in addition to questions designed to probe their feelings about the importance of place and neighbourhood context.