The role of social capital in sustainable local development: A case study of Tehran Narmak neighborhood
Subject Areas : Urban Sociological Studies
Keywords: Social Capital, Social Participation, social safety, Social integration, sustainable local development,
Abstract :
A fracture in social-spatial structure of cities in current developmental programs, the growth in urbanization, and changes in the nature and complexity of urban issues have led to an inefficiency in urban planning and management on a massive scale. Such an issue, more often than not, calls for a need to pay attention to lower levels and to have a bottom-up look to find a permanent solution to these urban issues. In this regard, attention to social capital as an available asset in the communities of such residences seems to be an appropriate solution to achieve sustainable development. The present study, utilizing social capital as an asset-based approach, aims at elaborating on sustainable local development and its components and the impact on sustainability achievement at the neighborhood level in the Narmak neighborhood of the city of Tehran. To estimate sample size, Cochran’s formula was utilized, according to which 383 participants from Narmak neighborhood residents were randomly selected to be given questionnaires. The research is based on the hypothesis that there is a significant correlation between social capital in local communities and sustainable local development. The factors under investigation were extracted from national and international experiences and studies and tested using survey and questionnaire in Tehran’s Narmak neighborhood. To determine a relationship between social capital and sustainable local development, Pearson correlation test was used. The results indicated that the Pearson correlation coefficient between all the factors of social capital and those of sustainable development is over 92 percent, indicating a significant positive relationship among social capital and sustainable local development factors.