The built environment, spatial scale, and social networks: Do land uses matter for personal network structure?

Abstract

In this study, we examine how different features of the built environment—density, diversity of land uses, and design—have consequences for personal networks. We also consider whether different features of the built environment have consequences for the spatial location of persons to whom one is tied by considering their distribution in local area, broader city region, and a more macro spatial scale. We test these ideas with a large sample of the Western United States for three different types of ties. Our findings suggest that the built environment is crucial for personal network structure, both in the number of social ties and where they are located.