Document Type

Thesis

Degree Name

Master of Arts (MA)

Department

Geography & Environmental Studies

Faculty/School

Faculty of Arts

First Advisor

Alfred Hecht

Advisor Role

Thesis Committee Member

Second Advisor

Barry Boots

Advisor Role

Thesis Committee Member

Third Advisor

Russell Muncaster

Advisor Role

Thesis Committee Member

Abstract

Recognition of the limitations of previous explanations of urban spatial structure due to their implicit assumptions concerning human behaviour in conjunction with the desire to present a framework more conducive to the answering of socially relevant urban problems, has led to this study’s use of an exploratory methodology within which to investigate the phenomena of urban spatial structure. The overall purpose is to investigate the relationships between both the structural and behavioural components of urban spatial structure which will possibly lead to greater levels of understanding of the complex processes which give rise to our present urban environments. To achieve this objective, both the concepts of urban structure and human behaviour were operationalized using various factor analytic models and analysed with regard to their relationships employing a partial correlation model. Using the major urban centers of the Regional Municipality of Waterloo as a study area, it was found that the structrual type of residential districts has an influence on both the attitudes and perceptions of households living within these residential environments. Although the magnitudes of these identified relationships achieved only low to moderate levels of explanation, in terms of directionality, they were found to offer evidence of the potential of this type of investigation of urban spatial structure which may be of some value in the planning of our urban environment.

Convocation Year

1976

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