The social history of urban neighborhoods - Introduction

Social historians have generally regarded neighborhoods as crucial elements of the urban landscape in Europe, North America, and Australia. Introducing a collection of articles generated for a symposium on the history of urban neighborhoods, this discussion of concepts, key questions, and approaches suggests that a long-term and comparative view undermines a common narrative about growth and decline, or a straightforward distinction between early modem and modem neighborhoods. Instead, a survey of histories suggests that neighboring is best understood, in all periods, as a dynamic process, which may be triggered and reinforced rather than diminished by the processes commonly associated with modernity and increased mobility. The survey also suggests that the urban social relationships that constitute neighboring-and the problems and opportunities of proximity that they negotiate-form a consistent rhythm in city life.