The Tale of Two Communities: Residents’ Perceptions of the Built Environment and Neighborhood Social Capital

Recent decades have seen a growing number of studies on the benefits and environmental determinants of community social capital. This study explored the relationship between neighborhood residents’ perceptions of their built environment and social capital by comparing two neighborhoods, Bucktown, an example of traditional neighborhood design, and Schaumburg, exemplifying suburban sprawl. Furthermore, the study sought to develop suggestions for further research about the variables contributing to neighborhood variations in social capital. Results of two cross-sectional phone surveys with 197 residents indicated that Bucktown respondents reported more close neighborhood ties, and believed they were more involved in mutual aid and community problem solving, but viewed their neighbors as less supportive than participants from Schaumburg. It may be hypothesized that aspects of residents’ perceptions of the built environment, particularly perceived safety and walkability, may be partly responsible for the neighborhood differences found. Further research is needed to understand the pathways of how elements of perceived built environment may affect social capital formation and development.