ABSTRACT This thesis explores change in place, and particularly the social tensions that arise from change in peri-urban communities. In this study, a review of relevant literature indicates that rural/urban fringe areas are dynamic places, as pressure for the conversion of rural land uses to rural residential function creates social and economic anxiety. With pressure for change, tensions between people, both inside and outside of the local community become more clearly articulated, as change for some members of the community is an un-welcomed progression. Others, who may have no association with the local community, grasp the opportunity for change, particularly if financial return is the end reward. This study considers various approaches to the analysis of these changes in place and develops a methodology that reveals the social dimension of change, and more particularly the tensions associated with shifting land use patterns and changing demographic characteristics in the peri-urban location of Matangi.