Impacts of Streetscape Features on Individual Social Capital: Applying Korea’s Neighborhood Data to Street View Images to Improve Lives of the Socially Vulnerable

Sunmin Kim, Junehyung Jeon, Youngre Noh and Ayoung Woo ()
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Sunmin Kim: Graduate School of Urban Studies, Hanyang University, Seoul 04763, Republic of Korea
Junehyung Jeon: Graduate School of Urban Studies, Hanyang University, Seoul 04763, Republic of Korea
Youngre Noh: Department of Landscape Architecture and Urban Planning, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX 77843, USA
Ayoung Woo: Graduate School of Urban Studies, Hanyang University, Seoul 04763, Republic of Korea

Land, 2024, vol. 13, issue 5, 1-20

Abstract: Neighborhood social vulnerability is a dimension of vulnerability that influences society’s response to external factors, encompassing various social factors tied to socioeconomic and demographic attributes at the neighborhood level. While previous studies have explored the associations between vulnerable neighborhoods and stressors like environmental hazards, understanding of their impact on residents’ social capital remains limited. Moreover, the role of built environments in mitigating these effects is uncertain. This study investigates the impact of neighborhood social vulnerability, alongside streetscape features, on individual social capital in Seoul, South Korea. Using a stratified random sampling method, we surveyed 1000 Seoul residents, assessing their social capital and demographics. In particular, six questionnaires based on a four-point Likert scale were used to measure the individual level of social capital: two questions for social networks, three questions for social participation, and one question for sense of community. Additionally, we employed a deep learning-based model to analyze Google Street View images for detailed streetscape features. Our analysis, utilizing multiple and ordinal logistic regression models, reveals that walkable environments and neighborhood prosperity, indicated by factors like income, education, and street greenery, are linked to higher social capital. Moreover, less urbanized areas with lower land prices and greater openness to the sky also show positive associations. These findings underscore the potential of improving streetscape features to mitigate the negative impacts of neighborhood vulnerability, particularly in neighborhoods where low-income and less-educated residents are concentrated, offering insights for urban planners and community leaders.

Keywords: neighborhood social vulnerability; streetscape features; social capital; deep learning-based computer vision (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: Q15 Q2 Q24 Q28 Q5 R14 R52 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2024
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