An urban community-based intervention to advance social interactions

Blighted urban environments can be detrimental to community life and result in alienation and isolation. An intervention was developed in 2003 in Portland, Oregon, to engage low- to moderate-income, urban communities in creating pleasant amenities in the public right-of-way, including ecologically built information kiosks, benches, trellises for hanging gardens, and interac-tive art features such as large street paintings and art walls. As part of a postintervention survey of 359 residents within a two-block radius at three project sites, 53 % rated their neighborhood better than before and 44 % or 53 % rated their present neighborhood as an excellent or good place to live, respectively. In open-ended qualitative comments, 30 % mentioned increased social interactions, 13 % revealed an enhanced sense of place, 43 % described neighborhood participation, and 20 % discussed aesthetic aspects of their local environment. Community involvement in urban design can enrich social networks with direct benefits for social capital and well-being