Abstract

The perception of livability varies by individual, sociocultural, and environmental factors. Little is known about environment-livability relationships in unique sociocultural contexts with predominantly Mexican-origin Hispanic populations. This study examines how neighborhood environments relate to residents’ perceived livability in selected neighborhoods in El Paso, Texas, and potential differences between Hispanic and non-Hispanic samples. We surveyed 2233 residents and generated GIS (ArcGIS 10.6.1) measures of their neighborhood environments. The binary livability outcome was derived from a survey question about satisfaction with their neighborhood as “a good place to live.” Three logistic regressions were estimated using the full sample and two subsamples (Hispanic and non-Hispanic). For the full sample, significant (p < 0.05) environmental predictors included social cohesion, crime safety, attractive surroundings, sidewalk availability and maintenance, surveillance and night lighting, walkable destinations, and land-use mix; significant interactions existed between Hispanic ethnicity and gender, between Hispanic ethnicity and the density of sit-down restaurants, as well as between age and crime safety. Comparing two subsample models, environmental features and personal health status were more influential in the Hispanic subsample, whereas personal and household factors were more influential in the non-Hispanic subsample. Culturally responsive designs should prioritize the most critical environmental improvements to effectively enhance livability.

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