Turning a corner: Real-time experiences of informal control in public places

Abstract

Urban sociological theory describes how structural neighborhood conditions construct neighborhoods as little social worlds. New research on urban mobility emphasizes that individuals move around within and across these social worlds, but much less is known about how individuals experience the varied social contexts they encounter, including streetscapes and other public spaces like parks and plazas. In this study, we consider evaluations of informal control in outdoor public places as a product of the structural characteristics of the surrounding neighborhood as well as emergent, dynamic conditions at the street level, such as disorder, friendly greetings, and the presence of familiar others. We use data from smartphone-based ecological momentary assessments captured in outdoor public places in Chicago, like sidewalks, cafés, parks, and plazas (n = 1971). We find that structural disadvantage in the surrounding area is not associated with lower ratings of informal control in public places. However, emergent conditions such as disorder and friendly greetings are associated with evaluations of informal control. The presence of others and familiar faces are associated with higher ratings of informal control – especially when individuals are farther away from theirx residence. We also find some evidence that locations within racially segregated neighborhoods are perceived as having lower informal control. We conclude with a discussion on the implications of these findings for understanding how individuals experience and construct community in everyday urban settings.