Urban design for developing a sense of community in culturally-diverse neighbourhoods

Abstract

A sense of community is a fundamental requirement for communities to thrive and prosper. However, in today’s multi-ethnic environments developing or maintaining a sense of community is becoming increasingly challenging especially in cities such as Calgary, Canada, which are experiencing rapid population diversification. Thus, there is a growing need for such cities to actively support their diverse populations in building a sense of community. Nearly a century of scholarship points to the link between the physical environment and social behaviour and recognizes the urban environment as a catalyst in enhancing a sense of community among citizens. However, assessments to identify how urban environments can facilitate a sense of community among diverse populations remain rare in urban planning and design. The aim of this case study was to identify how the physical environments can support building a sense of community among culturally-diverse populations, and thus identify strategies for making cities more resilient and sustainable in the face of rapid demographic changes. For this research, the Family Housing Complex at the University of Calgary was selected as a case study due to being a widely-diverse population living in a single neighbourhood. Using a number of observation techniques and interviews, the study focused on the diverse day-to-day encounters among residents to identify opportunities for developing a sense of community among them.