A Study of the Relationship between Sustainable Social Development and Social Capital ( Case Study: Residents of Shemiran nou )

Urban development and concentration of resources in cities have caused human society to take shape in these areas. The need of low-income residents to urban housing increases demand for an informal housing market whereby informal housing turns into a kind of residency in cities. Numerous problems of this kind of residency for sustainable urban development have put pressure on urban managers to think of some countermeasures in these areas in order to reduce the process of isolation and erosion of social cohesion in these neighborhoods. Social capital as an asset available in these communities is regarded as a suitable solution for reducing the costs and organizing these communities. This paper presents the research findings of a study on the impact of social capital on sustainable development of Shemiran nou, an informal settlement in Tehran. It is a descriptive survey, based on distributing 400 questionnaires among residents of Shemiran nou. The goal of the research is to understand if there is a positive relationship between social capital and social sustainability of an informal community. If such a relationship exists, then we can talk about a sustainable and inward way for stability of informal neighborhoods. The results of the study indicate that there is a significant and positive relationship between social capital and indicators of sustainable development, which can be empowered by connecting to trust and networks. The local council deserves more attention because it is the most important part of the relationship, and any practice which makes this council more accessible to the public is a kind of capacity building. According to multivariate regression analysis, trust and joining to social networks are the most important factors in moving towards sustainable social development. Finally, it is clear that informal factors of social capital lead to actual achievement of sustainable social development and formal factors of social capital lead to potential achievement of sustainable social development