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An Urban Community-Based Intervention to Advance Social Interactions

^* To whom correspondence should be addressed. E-mail: Jan.Semenza{at}ecdc.europa.eu.

	Abstract

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 interactive 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.

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