Examining the role of urban street design in enhancing community engagement: A literature review

Nadha Hassen; Pamela Kaufman

doi:10.1016/j.healthplace.2016.08.005

Examining the role of urban street design in enhancing community engagement: A literature review

Health Place. 2016 Sep:41:119-132. doi: 10.1016/j.healthplace.2016.08.005. Epub 2016 Aug 30.

Authors

Nadha Hassen¹, Pamela Kaufman²

Affiliations

¹ Dalla Lana School of Public Health, University of Toronto, 155 College Street, 6th Floor, Toronto, ON, Canada, M5T 3M7. Electronic address: nadha.hassen@utoronto.ca.
² Dalla Lana School of Public Health, University of Toronto, 155 College Street, 6th Floor, Toronto, ON, Canada, M5T 3M7.

PMID: 27583528
DOI: 10.1016/j.healthplace.2016.08.005

Abstract

Streets are an integral part of the built environment with the capacity to promote community engagement, as one aspect of health and well-being. However, there have been few attempts to synthesize published studies and interventions to gain a broader understanding of what street design features hinder or facilitate community engagement. Data was extracted from 30 eligible articles into 16 key topic areas or themes. The most frequent topic areas were 'Aesthetics and Upkeep' (18), 'Access to Resources/Facilities' (15), 'Security and Safety' (15), and 'Walkability' (14). This review advances our understanding of how streets can be designed to enhance community engagement.

Keywords: Built environment; Community engagement; Health; Social capital; Social participation; Street design.

Publication types

Review
Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

Bicycling
Environment Design*
Humans
Motor Vehicles
Residence Characteristics*
Safety
Social Capital*
Social Environment*
Social Participation*
Urban Population*
Walking