Social sustainability in the city: the relationship between density and social interaction

Compact city development is regarded as the future model of sustainable urban development. However critiques have long pointed out that such development could adversely affect social cohesion. This research addresses this issue by considering the impact of density on one indicator of social cohesion, social interaction. The research addresses three principle issues: 1. The relationship between social interaction and the density of the neighbourhood 2. The extent and nature of social interaction, and how various aspects of density influence them 3. How the spatial features of high-density housing may encourage a sense of community and positive social interaction The research was done using six neighbourhoods in the Southeast of England. Analysis focussed on questionnaire and observation surveys, complemented by a variety of statistical and spatial models, using space syntax, GIS and statistical packages. Social interaction was found to have a complex relationship with density. There are some significant differences in the patterns in which people socialise in higher (I00-300hh/ha) and lower (up to 50hh/ha) density neighbourhoods. That is, the lower density neighbourhood had weak ties between residents but significant levels of informal interaction between neighbours; in higher density neighbourhoods it was the opposite. Even with the low response rate to the questionnaire, and variation in the socio-economic characteristics of the neighbourhoods, by using triangulation of data, this research found that the neighbourhoods with a density of 70-80 households per hectare had more social interactions within them than did neighbourhoods of higher and lower densities. The number of social interactions was also influenced by the social conditions of the neighbourhood as well as its physical layout. The spatial layouts of the neighbourhoods were found to have a significant impact on socialising patterns and social cohesion; this was even more pronounced in high density neighbourhoods. Based on the findings of the research, positive policies and guidelines are proposed to achieve more socially sustainable communiti es, including a recommendation to build at higher densities than the UK government currently advocates.

Grantor dc:publisher

Oxford Brookes University

Year dc:date

2005

Author dc:creator

• Raman, Shibu

Contributors dc:contributor

• Burton, Elizabeth
• Jenks, Mike

Statement dc:rights

• All rights reserved

Language dc:language

en

DOI dc:identifier

https://doi.org/10.24384/vez6-vb25

OAI identifier oai:identifier

tle:8215c3e3-8ee0-4905-9335-89a7c77e71f3:d6bd9758-527a-46cd-bfe2-c433766e8fca:1