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Are you interested in the connection between sense of space and civic engagement?

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Our summary today works with the article titled Place and City: Toward a Geography of Engagement from 2019 by Albert Acedo, Tiago Oliveira, Mijail Naranjo-Zolotov, and Marco Painho, published in the Heliyon journal.

This is a great preparation to our next interview with Ishara Sahama in episode 262 talking about urban sense of place and community engagement.

Since we are investigating the future of cities, I thought it would be interesting to see how sense of place, social capital and civic engagement are connected. This article presents the spatial dimension’s critical role in explaining and improving civic participation in urban environments.

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Welcome to today’s What is The Future For Cities podcast and its Research episode; my name is Fanni, and today I will introduce a research paper by summarising it. The episode really is just a short summary of the original paper, and, in case it is interesting enough, I would encourage everyone to check out the whole paper. Stay tuned until because I will give you the 3 most important things and some questions which would be interesting to discuss.

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Civic engagement has become a growing concern as participation in public affairs declines in many developed countries. Encouraging people to engage in public issues is crucial for a functioning democracy. A key factor influencing civic engagement is the sense of place, which reflects the emotional bonds individuals form with particular geographical areas. Another factor is social capital, which encompasses the relationships and networks people develop within their communities. Both factors have been shown to positively influence civic behaviour.

However, the spatial relationships between these concepts have been largely overlooked. While many studies highlight the importance of personal connections to places and communities in fostering engagement, the role of geography in shaping these dynamics remains underexplored. This study aims to fill that gap by examining how the spatial dimension of sense of place and social capital impacts civic engagement in the urban context. By utilizing spatial data, the research seeks to provide a deeper understanding of these interactions and their potential to enhance participatory processes in cities.

The relational nature of cities is the basis, where actions and interactions between humans and objects form complex networks. This concept, influenced by Actor-Network Theory, sees the city as a dynamic environment shaped by both material and social resources. Social capital, which is a key part of this dynamic, includes emotional bonds, social networks, and community participation that contribute to the functioning of cities. The sense of place is another critical element, encompassing the feelings of attachment, identity, and dependence individuals have toward specific locations.

Previous research suggests that a strong sense of place enhances social capital, as people who feel connected to a place are more likely to form meaningful relationships and engage in collective actions. Similarly, high levels of social capital, characterized by a sense of community and participation, are linked to greater civic engagement. Based on these insights, the authors hypothesized that: (H1) citizens’ sense of place positively affects social capital, and (H2) social capital positively impacts civic engagement. Additionally, the spatial relationship between these constructs could further strengthen these effects.

The study used a participatory web map-based survey in Lisbon, Portugal, to gather spatial data on citizens’ sense of place, social capital, and civic engagement. A total of 373 responses were analysed using structural equation modelling (SEM) to assess the relationships between these three concepts. The research model treats sense of place and social capital as second-order constructs, measured by factors such as place attachment, community participation, and collective efficacy. Civic engagement is the dependent variable, and the spatial relationships between these constructs were evaluated to understand their influence on engagement levels.

The sense of place significantly contributes to social capital, and social capital, in turn, significantly influences civic engagement. When there is a spatial overlap between these concepts—such as when people’s meaningful places align with their social networks—their influence on civic engagement becomes even stronger. Non-disjoint spatial relationships, where individuals’ sense of place and social capital overlap geographically, led to higher levels of engagement compared to cases where these spatial dimensions did not align. There seems to be a positive and statistically significant relationship between sense of place and social capital. Similarly, the connection between social capital and civic engagement was significant in cases with a strong spatial relationship. However, in instances where no spatial overlap occurred, the relationship between social capital and engagement weakened.

Therefore, incorporating a spatial dimension into analyses of civic engagement is crucial. Cities are more than just physical environments; they are networks of interactions shaped by both geographic and social factors. When people have a strong sense of place and form social ties within those places, they are more likely to engage in civic activities, especially when their networks and places overlap geographically. Urban planners and policymakers need to consider the spatial aspects of social capital and civic engagement when designing participatory processes.

The spatialization of social concepts like sense of place and social capital offers new ways to enhance civic participation. By mapping out where people feel most connected and where their social interactions take place, city governments can better tailor engagement initiatives to the actual geographies of citizens’ lives. This approach moves beyond traditional administrative boundaries, offering a more nuanced understanding of how urban residents relate to their environments and communities.

This framework for understanding the spatial relationships between sense of place, social capital, and civic engagement demonstrates that geographical proximity between meaningful places and social networks can significantly boost participation in civic processes. Urban planning and participatory initiatives can benefit from incorporating these spatial dimensions, fostering more engaged and connected communities. Future research should continue to explore how spatial data can be used to support civic engagement in diverse urban contexts. The spatial relationships between individuals’ connections to places and their social networks can enhance civic engagement, helping to design more effective participatory processes in cities.

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What was the most interesting part for you? What questions did arise for you? Do you have any follow up question? Let me know on Twitter at WTF4Cities or on the wtf4cities.com website where the transcripts and show notes are available! Additionally, I will highly appreciate if you consider subscribing to the podcast or on the website. I hope this was an interesting paper for you as well, and thanks for tuning in!

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Finally, as the most important things, I would like to highlight 3 aspects:

1. Sense of place and social capital are critical factors in promoting civic engagement, particularly when they overlap geographically.
2. Civic engagement is strongest when people’s emotional attachments to places align with their social networks.
3. Urban planning should consider the spatial dimensions of citizen engagement to create more effective participatory processes.

Additionally, it would be great to talk about the following questions:

1. Can social networks within a neighbourhood strengthen civic engagement, even in the digital age?
2. How might cities use spatial data to improve citizen participation in local decision-making?
3. How do you think your connection to a place influences your willingness to get involved in community activities?

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