IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/gam/jsusta/v12y2020i5p1987-d328800.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Compact Urban Form: Neighbouring and Social Activity

Author

Listed:
  • M. Reza Shirazi

    (School of the Built Environment, Oxford Brookes University, Headington Campus, Oxford OX3 0BP, UK)

Abstract

Compact urban form has been widely suggested as a more sustainable development pattern that enhances different aspects of social liveability such as social exchange, collective interaction, and outdoor activity. Empirical research, however, challenges proposing a generic and universal understanding of compactness and its social advantages: compactness is perceived and lived differently in different socio-cultural contexts. This paper contributes to the call for gaining a more place-specific understanding from the compact urban form. To do so, it examines the social life of compact neighbourhoods in two study sites in Berlin. Social life is investigated by measuring the two dimensions of “neighbouring” and “social activities”: while the former explores how residents of the neighbourhood perceive different aspects of social life, the latter maps how urban space accommodates different types of social activity. Questionnaires and advanced mapping techniques are the primary sources of research obtained through intensive fieldwork and on-site observation. The research findings challenge some dominant assumptions attributed to the compact urban form orthodoxy: a compact neighbourhood can be perceived as safe, offer acceptable home and neighbourhood satisfaction, and, at the same time, suffer from low social networking and community engagement.

Suggested Citation

  • M. Reza Shirazi, 2020. "Compact Urban Form: Neighbouring and Social Activity," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 12(5), pages 1-18, March.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jsusta:v:12:y:2020:i:5:p:1987-:d:328800
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://www.mdpi.com/2071-1050/12/5/1987/pdf
    Download Restriction: no
    File URL: https://www.mdpi.com/2071-1050/12/5/1987/
    Download Restriction: no
    ---><---

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Clapp, John M. & Wang, Yazhen, 2006. "Defining neighborhood boundaries: Are census tracts obsolete?," Journal of Urban Economics, Elsevier, vol. 59(2), pages 259-284, March.
    2. M. Reza Shirazi, 2019. "Mapping neighbourhood outdoor activities: space, time, gender and age," Journal of Urban Design, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 24(5), pages 715-737, September.
    3. Pucher, J. & Dijkstra, L., 2003. "Promoting Safe Walking and Cycling to Improve Public Health: Lessons from The Netherlands and Germany," American Journal of Public Health, American Public Health Association, vol. 93(9), pages 1509-1516.
    4. Mosabbir Pasha & Shakil Rifaat & Richard Tay & Alex de Barros, 2016. "Urban design and planning influences on the share of trips taken by cycling," Journal of Urban Design, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 21(4), pages 471-480, July.
    5. Michael Cuthill, 2010. "Strengthening the ‘social’ in sustainable development: Developing a conceptual framework for social sustainability in a rapid urban growth region in Australia," Sustainable Development, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., vol. 18(6), pages 362-373, November/.
    6. Felipe Livert Aquino & Xabier Gainza, 2014. "Understanding Density in an Uneven City, Santiago de Chile: Implications for Social and Environmental Sustainability," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 6(9), pages 1-22, September.
    7. Judith Westerink & Dagmar Haase & Annette Bauer & Joe Ravetz & Françoise Jarrige & Carmen B.E. M. Aalbers, 2013. "Dealing with Sustainability Trade-Offs of the Compact City in Peri-Urban Planning Across European City Regions," European Planning Studies, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 21(4), pages 473-497, April.
    8. Wood, Lisa & Frank, Lawrence D. & Giles-Corti, Billie, 2010. "Sense of community and its relationship with walking and neighborhood design," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 70(9), pages 1381-1390, May.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Citations

    Citations are extracted by the CitEc Project, subscribe to its RSS feed for this item.
    as


    Cited by:

    1. Qiang Sheng & Dongyang Wan & Boya Yu, 2021. "Effect of Space Configurational Attributes on Social Interactions in Urban Parks," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(14), pages 1-15, July.
    2. Vafa Dianati, 2021. "The Interplay between Urban Densification and Place Change in Tehran; Implications for Place-Based Social Sustainability," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(17), pages 1-18, August.
    3. M. Reza Shirazi & Ramin Keivani, 2021. "Social Sustainability of Compact Neighbourhoods Evidence from London and Berlin," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(4), pages 1-20, February.
    4. Jesús Rodrigo-Comino & Barbara Ermini, 2021. "Are Cities Truly Dispersed? A Long-Term Analysis of Vertical Profile of Settlements in Athens’ Metropolitan Region," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(6), pages 1-14, March.
    5. Mohammad Paydar & Asal Kamani Fard, 2021. "The Hierarchy of Walking Needs and the COVID-19 Pandemic," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 18(14), pages 1-16, July.
    6. Mohammad Paydar & Asal Kamani Fard, 2021. "The Contribution of Mobile Apps to the Improvement of Walking/Cycling Behavior Considering the Impacts of COVID-19 Pandemic," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(19), pages 1-21, September.

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. M. Reza Shirazi & Ramin Keivani, 2021. "Social Sustainability of Compact Neighbourhoods Evidence from London and Berlin," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(4), pages 1-20, February.
    2. Neatt, Kevin & Millward, Hugh & Spinney, Jamie, 2017. "Neighborhood walking densities: A multivariate analysis in Halifax, Canada," Journal of Transport Geography, Elsevier, vol. 61(C), pages 9-16.
    3. Ellison, Richard B. & Ellison, Adrian B. & Greaves, Stephen P. & Sampaio, Breno, 2017. "Electronic ticketing systems as a mechanism for travel behaviour change? Evidence from Sydney’s Opal card," Transportation Research Part A: Policy and Practice, Elsevier, vol. 99(C), pages 80-93.
    4. Pankaj Bajracharya & Selima Sultana, 2022. "Examining the Use of Urban Growth Boundary for Future Urban Expansion of Chattogram, Bangladesh," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 14(9), pages 1-21, May.
    5. Carlson, Laura A. & Bitsch, Vera, 2018. "Social sustainability in the ready-made-garment sector in Bangladesh: an institutional approach to supply chains," International Food and Agribusiness Management Review, International Food and Agribusiness Management Association, vol. 21(2), March.
    6. Spielman, Seth E. & Yoo, Eun-hye, 2009. "The spatial dimensions of neighborhood effects," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 68(6), pages 1098-1105, March.
    7. Shuangqing Sheng & Wei Song & Hua Lian & Lei Ning, 2022. "Review of Urban Land Management Based on Bibliometrics," Land, MDPI, vol. 11(11), pages 1-25, November.
    8. Wilson, Christopher & van der Velden, Maja, 2022. "Sustainable AI: An integrated model to guide public sector decision-making," Technology in Society, Elsevier, vol. 68(C).
    9. Vandenbulcke, Grégory & Dujardin, Claire & Thomas, Isabelle & Geus, Bas de & Degraeuwe, Bart & Meeusen, Romain & Panis, Luc Int, 2011. "Cycle commuting in Belgium: Spatial determinants and 're-cycling' strategies," Transportation Research Part A: Policy and Practice, Elsevier, vol. 45(2), pages 118-137, February.
    10. Noelia Somarriba Arechavala & Pilar Zarzosa Espina & Ana Teresa López Pastor, 2022. "The Importance of the Neighbourhood Environment and Social Capital for Happiness in a Vulnerable District: The Case of the Pajarillos District in Spain," Journal of Happiness Studies, Springer, vol. 23(5), pages 1941-1965, June.
    11. Paul Downward & Simona Rasciute, 2011. "An Economic Analysis of the Subjective Health and Well-being of Physical Activity," Chapters, in: Plácido Rodríguez & Stefan Késenne & Brad R. Humphreys (ed.), The Economics of Sport, Health and Happiness, chapter 2, Edward Elgar Publishing.
    12. Cavicchia, Rebecca, 2023. "Housing accessibility in densifying cities: Entangled housing and land use policy limitations and insights from Oslo," Land Use Policy, Elsevier, vol. 127(C).
    13. Olivier, Michelle M. & Howard, Johnathon L. & Wilson, Ben P. & Robinson, Wayne A., 2018. "Correlating Localisation and Sustainability and Exploring the Causality of the Relationship," Ecological Economics, Elsevier, vol. 146(C), pages 749-765.
    14. Ignacio C. Fernández & David Manuel-Navarrete & Robinson Torres-Salinas, 2016. "Breaking Resilient Patterns of Inequality in Santiago de Chile: Challenges to Navigate towards a More Sustainable City," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 8(8), pages 1-19, August.
    15. Meng Wang & Aleksandra Krstikj & Huan Liu, 2022. "Planning Compact City in Rapidly Growing Cities—An Estimation of the Effects of New-Type Urbanization Planning in Hangzhou City," Land, MDPI, vol. 11(11), pages 1-16, October.
    16. Daley, Michelle & Rissel, Chris, 2011. "Perspectives and images of cycling as a barrier or facilitator of cycling," Transport Policy, Elsevier, vol. 18(1), pages 211-216, January.
    17. Marko Kryvobokov, 2011. "Defining apartment neighbourhoods with Thiessen polygons and fuzzy equality clustering," ERES eres2011_142, European Real Estate Society (ERES).
    18. Austin Boyle & Charles Barrilleaux & Daniel Scheller, 2014. "Does Walkability Influence Housing Prices?," Social Science Quarterly, Southwestern Social Science Association, vol. 95(3), pages 852-867, September.
    19. Michelle M. Olivier & Benjamin P. Wilson & Jonathon L. Howard, 2016. "Measuring Localisation Regionally to Form a Bhutanese Index," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 8(7), pages 1-19, July.
    20. Robin Hogrefe & Sabine Bohnet-Joschko, 2023. "The Social Dimension of Corporate Sustainability: Review of an Evolving Research Field," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 15(4), pages 1-22, February.

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:gam:jsusta:v:12:y:2020:i:5:p:1987-:d:328800. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: MDPI Indexing Manager (email available below). General contact details of provider: https://www.mdpi.com .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.