Yona Ginsberg

The pattern and meaning of neighbor relations in high-rise housing in Israel

This paper deals with the behavioral pattern of neighbor relations and their relationships to the subjective attitudes and expectations of the residents. The sample was 318 middle-class women living in eight-to 20-story buildings. The findings indicate that respondents so desiring were able to develop active social ties with their neighbors. Moreover, they interacted with neighbors despite the fact that the majority had opportunities for alternative social relations. The distinction between “localized” and “nonlocalized” high-rise residents does not seem meaningful in this case. Actual social ties with neighbors were related to norms and expectations regarding neighbor relations. Despite active neighboring, respondents did not have difficulties obtaining privacy.

Housing Prices and Housing Preferences in Israel

Israels housing market differs from other countries in that most of the urban population lives in owner-occupied apartments in multi-family buildings. This paper is concerned with the implications of this situation for housing preferences. The study is based on the prices of a sample of apartments offered for sale in the Tel Aviv metropolitan area. Using multiple regression analysis hedonic price indexes were obtained for a large number of characteristics of the apartment, the building, adjacent properties, the neighbourhood and the location in the metropolitan area. It was found that a premium is paid for characteristics which facilitate maintenance and for features which serve as indicators for the social composition of the neighbours and their attitudes.

Housing satisfaction and intention to move: Their explanatory variables

Abstract The purpose of this paper is to examine the relationship between housing satisfaction and intention to move among apartment owners. The sample was 809 women, individually interviewed. The findings indicate that the two indicators are not necessarily different expressions of the same attitude. People may be satisfied with their housing and still intend to move, and others may be dissatisfied and not intend to move. Moreover, the variables explaining the variance of each indicator are different. The percentage of the explained variance was higher for intention to move than for housing satisfaction.

Fear of Crime among Elderly Jews in Boston and London.

This article deals with the impact of fear of crime on the daily behavior of elderly Jews in two racially mixed, deteriorating neighborhoods, one in Boston and the other in London. Although people in both places expressed their fears in a similar language, their behavior was different: the Boston elderly retreated behind locked doors, while the London elderly continued their daily routine almost uninterrupted. Three factors are discussed: crime rate in each neighborhood, the different ecological pattern of both cities, and the impact of racial change. Above all, it seems, the different effect of fear of crime on behavior can be explained by the way the elderly regarded themselves vis-a-vis the community. The London Jews still felt themselves to be a part of their community while the Boston Jews felt alienated from it.

Maintenance of shared property in low‐income condominiums

Abstract This paper deals with the factors affecting the maintenance of the shared areas of low‐income condominiums. The study is based on a sample of 373 households in four neighbourhoods which had been rehabilitated as part of Israels Project Renewal. 73% of the variance in observed maintenance quality couldbe explained in a multiple regression analysis by four factors: participation in the renewal process, household characteristics, physical features of the buildings and socioeconomic status.