The formation of social capital in newly constructed neighborhoods

Abstract

ABSTRACTWhat factors encourage or discourage the formation of social capital and community resilience in neighborhoods geared toward affordable/workforce housing and vulnerable populations? Newly built starter-home neighborhoods—first introduced in the mass-produced Levittowns and commonly called “cookie-cutter”—present a unique opportunity to answer this question. Lessons learned from divergent neighborhood outcomes help us better understand how to build more resilient neighborhoods and avoid constructing neighborhoods “built to fail.” Including survey data in research introduces people’s experiences and viewpoints, and helps us learn things that can only come from the perspectives of those living in the neighborhoods—for example, why someone chooses to move to a particular neighborhood, what things are liked/disliked about the neighborhood, feelings of safety, and the social dimensions of a neighborhood. These factors are indicators of social capital and in this study, door-to-door surveys of starter-home residents were used to try and understand its formation in newly built neighborhoods and how social capital is associated with resilience. Results show the building in of resources, including providing open spaces, street trees, quality construction practices, and locating neighborhoods near amenities and away from harmful land uses, facilitates the formation of social capital and resilience in newly constructed neighborhoods.