Are perceived neighbourhood built environments associated with social capital? Evidence from the 2012 Seoul survey in South Korea

This study examined the association between the perceived neighbourhood built environment and social capital in Seoul, South Korea, using the Seoul 2012 survey data collected by the Seoul city government. The survey polled 49,758 Seoul citizens from 20,000 households about their demographic and socioeconomic status, living environment, housing, and social environment. Multilevel regression models were used to analyze the relationships between the perceived neighbourhood built environment factors and three elements of social capital: trust, network, and participation. First, the analyses showed that statistically significant relationships existed between the perceived neighbourhood built environment and social capital. Second, social trust and social network showed significant positive relationships with most of the perceived neighbourhood built environment variables. This finding indicates that a walkable and safe community environment was a strong indicator of a high level of social trust and social network. In contrast, volunteer participation showed a different association with walkability and safety from crime. Finally, housing characteristics such as housing type showed statistically significant associations with the perceived built environmental variables. In particular, residents dwelling in high-density apartments showed a lower level of social trust and higher levels of social network and social participation than those in single-family housing.