Sense of Community in the Urban Environment: A Catalyst for Participation and Community Development

Abstract

Social programs need to identify catalysts for action which can be targeted in order to effectively and efficiently meet their goals. A model illustrates how a sense of community can have a catalytic effect on local action (i.e., participation in a block association) by affecting the perception of the environment, social relations, and one's perceived control and empowerment The model is tested and confirmed through path-analytic and longitudinal techniques.