Rethinking Neighbourhood Cohesion in the Suburbs: Insights from Communities in Calgary

Abstract

Neighbourhood cohesion is a desirable outcome of socially sustainable communities. However, such an outcome is not necessarily associated with suburban master-planned communities. This empirical research measures affective and interactive dimensions of neighbourhood cohesion and their correlations with residents’ perception of neighbourhood uniqueness. Using qualitative and quantitative methods, it considers the physical and social attributes of two suburban neighbourhoods in Calgary to provide an in-depth interpretation of similarities and differences in neighbourhood cohesion. The findings address an important aspect of community planning associated with the attractiveness of semi-gated suburban living in low-density developments embedded in the natural environment.
 Keywords: neighbourhood cohesion, semi-gated suburb, sense of community, community planning, uniqueness

Effect of various housing patterns on social cohesion

“…In the linear pattern, the road in front of the house is a two-way rule and can be passed by two cars passing each other, so that in this pattern the road in front of the house facilitates residents to interact. The previous study stated that the grid pattern can stimulate the will of the resident to walk creating social interaction and cohesion among the neighbour [10]. On the contrary, in this study, the grid pattern doesn't have an effect on creating social cohesion because the width of the road is quite small making it hard to walk on this road.…”

“…It is also a factor in creating a livable housing environment [2]. The cohesive social environment is an element that determines the quality and stability of life and is a standard for the success of urban spatial units [3]. A cohesive community is influenced not only by social environmental factors but also by the physical environment.…”