Abstract
Empirical evidence suggests that it is possible to socially renew neighbourhoods through the formation of social capital (SC) as an effect of walking. The characteristics of the built environment that influence walkability and SC have been relatively well established by previous research, but contrasts remain. Therefore, this document seeks to investigate the relationship between SC and walkability, through a Scoping Review of empirical studies published in indexed journals in the Web of Science and Scopus. The findings indicate that the formation of SC as an effect of walking is associated with land use and the design of neighbourhood facilities; the provision of urban furniture (benches) and green spaces; and that the design and configuration of the neighbourhoods affects SC even more than the excess density. In addition, the methodological strategies used to arrive at these results were reviewed. The conclusions suggest the need to study this issue from an updated perspective, where new neighbourhood interaction systems can be tracked (that provide new indicators), using advanced tools and technologies that help streamline and make measurements more objective.
Highlights
According to the OECD [1], one of the factors that contribute to the increase in people’s wellbeing is the quality of the relationships they have with other people, better expressed as social capital (SC)
Umberson et al [4], highlighted the close association that exists between social support and social integration with psychological health, even recent studies show the benefits of social interactions in public health, especially about mental health [5,6]
Kim and Kaplan [25] found that the physical characteristics of the built environment such as open spaces that promote walkability play an important role in increasing the probability of social interactions and the sense of community
Summary
According to the OECD [1], one of the factors that contribute to the increase in people’s wellbeing is the quality of the relationships they have with other people, better expressed as social capital (SC). Urban planners, through empirical evidence, have investigated the design aspects of the built environment that positively influence the formation of SC This search has shown that those neighbourhoods (compact and mixed) that provide structures for walking mobility and spaces for coexistence are significant for promoting SC. Pedestrian mobility makes residents feel connected to each other and the local area, whilst making use of its streets, public spaces, and facilities This promotes physical and social health by encouraging residents to use the outdoor spaces of their neighbourhoods, whilst developing bonds of trust and improving their health by walking. This alerts city planners to the need to shift the neighbourhood approach towards a pedestrian-friendly scheme, in favour of healthier cities both physically and socially. SC and walkability, exposing the significant findings around the urban form (land use, municipal infrastructure, urban furniture, green spaces, and density) and the strategies in methodologies used for its measurement; (3) the results obtained are presented; and (4) the discussion of the results is presented and possible future lines of research are formulated
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