URBAN SUBAREAS We have seen how the reciprocal relationship between environment and social behaviour leads to the delimitation of subareas in the city. In the process, these areas are imbued with symbolic meaning and become as real a part of the urban scene as the areas defined by land values or other objective criteria. Such areas are most readily defined when physical boundaries correspond with symbolic meanings, but such a correspondence is not essential. Perceived areas exist in every city because their presence is collectively acknowledged by people within and beyond their boundaries and is reinforced by behaviour patterns. Examples of such areas include ethnic enclaves such as Chinatown in San Francisco, racially defined areas such as Watts in Los Angeles, areas defined by lifestyle such as sections of Greenwich Village in New York, gang turfs, urban slums, exclusive suburbs, or high-status areas such as Beacon Hill Boston. Each of these in is primarily a social construction that arises because