Friendly Communities and Outdoor Spaces in Contexts of Urban Population Decline

Social Capital in Neighbourhood Renewal: A Holistic and State of the Art Literature Review

In the new era of sustainable urban development, neighbourhood renewal has received increasing attention. Social capital, which can be defined as the value embedded in the relationship between residents, plays a significant role in the process of neighbourhood renewal. However, within the current neighbourhood renewal knowledge domain, there is a lack of clear and systematic understanding of the various components that make up social capital, how they are formed, and how they impact neighbourhood renewal. With the rise in neighbourhood renewal projects worldwide, it has become increasingly important to facilitate better knowledge in this area. To this end, this study focuses on filling this knowledge gap. First, based on the review of 84 journal papers related to social capital in neighbourhood renewal, a research framework is developed for analysing social capital in the context of neighbour renewal. Using this framework as a lens, a critical review of the literature is then conducted. Finally, through an in-depth discussion, this study presents the main concepts of social capital, its formulation and its association with neighbourhood renewal. This review paper can be used as an important reference for researchers globally interested in the topic of social capital in neighbourhood renewal.

Types, Modes and Influencing Factors of Urban Shrinkage: Evidence from the Yellow River Basin, China

Following the appearance of urban shrinkage in Western countries, scholars have taken note of increasing amounts of urban shrinkage with significant regional characteristics in China in recent years. Focusing on the Yellow River Basin, this study comprehensively measured prefecture-level and county-level city shrinkage based on China’s fifth, sixth and seventh national census data. Furthermore, the spatiotemporal patterns, types and modes of urban shrinkage were analyzed, and the factors influencing urban shrinkage were explored using a multiple linear regression model and a sorting model. The study results show that the number of shrinking cities and the shrinking degree significantly increased at the prefecture and county levels in the last 20 years. The identified shrinking cities are concentrated in the upper and middle reaches of the river basin, spatially configured around major cities and along the high-speed railway line. The regional pattern shows a typical “core–periphery” characteristic. Peripheral shrinkage is the main mode in which cities shrink. The strength and speed of economic development and industrial transformation positively affect urban shrinkage; the ageing degree, high-speed railway opening and other factors negatively affect urban shrinkage.

Enhancing Urban Biodiversity: A Theory of Planned Behavior Study of the Factors Influencing Real Estate Actors’ Intention to Use Nature-Inclusive Design and Construction Concepts

This paper presents the results of an exploration into the adoption of biodiversity-friendly practices by the real estate sector, by researching which factors determine companies’ intentions to use nature-inclusive design and construction concepts (NID). NID represents practices in which nature and building are inextricably linked when (re)designing building projects. We applied the Theory of Planned Behavior (TPB), a well-known framework for studying behavior. A telephone survey was carried out among 103 employees at different types of companies in the real estate sector. The findings showed that attitude, social norms, and perceived behavioral control are all significant explanatory variables for the intention of using NID. Perceived behavioral control is the strongest predictor. In addition, interest in NID strengthens the predictive value of perceived behavioral control. The empirical findings in this study serve as a first attempt to provide insights into the determinants of behavior in favor of using NID and, by extension, looking for drivers for change. The study was carried out in the Netherlands, but the results may be applicable or interesting to other countries as well when looking for opportunities to enhance biodiversity in urban areas or considering how the real estate sector could give substance to their vital role in spatial developments.

The Effects of Play Streets on Social and Community Connectedness in Rural Communities

Promoting physical activity (PA) is a long-standing public health initiative to improve overall health and wellbeing. Innovative strategies such as Play Streets, temporary activation of public spaces to provide safe places for active play, are being adopted in urban and rural communities to increase PA among children. As part of these strategies, aspects of social and community connectedness may be strengthened. This study analyzes focus groups and interviews from rural Play Street implementation team members (n = 14) as well as adults (n = 7) and children (n = 25) who attended Play Streets hosted in rural North Carolina, Maryland, Oklahoma, and Texas to better understand the added benefits of Play Streets in community connectedness. Overall, elements of social support and social cohesion are mentioned most frequently with instrumental and conditional support; however, concepts of social capital, collective-efficacy, and social identification are also presented. Participants expressed that Play Streets provided more than just PA; they provided opportunities to access and share resources, build perceptions of safety and trust in the community, and develop relationships with others. Fostering community connection through Play Streets may reduce health inequities in rural communities by building community resilience. Community-based PA programming that enhance and capitalize on community connectedness could be effective ways to improving the overall health and wellbeing of residents.