Social Capital and the Built Environment: the Importance of Walkable Neighborhoods

Overview

Journal Am J Public Health

Specialty Public Health

Date 2003 Sep 2

PMID 12948978

Citations 177

Authors

Kevin M Leyden

Affiliations

Soon will be listed here.

Abstract

Objectives: I sought to examine whether pedestrian-oriented, mixed-use neighborhoods encourage enhanced levels of social and community engagement (i.e., social capital).

Methods: The study investigated the relationship between neighborhood design and individual levels of social capital. Data were obtained from a household survey that measured the social capital of citizens living in neighborhoods that ranged from traditional, mixed-use, pedestrian-oriented designs to modern, car-dependent suburban subdivisions in Galway, Ireland.

Results: The analyses indicate that persons living in walkable, mixed-use neighborhoods have higher levels of social capital compared with those living in car-oriented suburbs. Respondents living in walkable neighborhoods were more likely to know their neighbors, participate politically, trust others, and be socially engaged.

Conclusions: Walkable, mixed-use neighborhood designs can encourage the development of social capital.

Citing Articles

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Perceived urban environment elements associated with momentary and long-term well-being: An experience sampling method approach.

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Reducing the social inequity of neighborhood visual environment in Los Angeles through computer vision and multi-model machine learning.

Wang S, Yoo J, Cai W, Yang F, Huang X, Sun Q Sustain Cities Soc. 2025; 119.

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Using Video Cameras to Assess Physical Activity and Other Well-Being Behaviors in Urban Environments: Feasibility, Reliability, and Participant Reactivity Studies.

Benton J, Evans J, Anderson J, French D JMIR Public Health Surveill. 2024; 10:e66049.

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(Dis)connected by design? Using participatory citizen science to uncover environmental determinants of social connectedness for youth in under-resourced neighbourhoods.

Sones M, Holden M, Kestens Y, King A, Rennie M, Winters M BMC Public Health. 2024; 24(1):3104.

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