Social capital is often seen as an indicator of health. Those with strong personal and social relationships report better health. Studies have shown that different measures of social capital (e.g., increased levels of trust, political participation, neighborhood familiarity, participation in protests, election voting, etc.) are supported by different built environments. As such, different kinds of environments can facilitate social capital.
Design for Health (DFH) Materials
- Planning Information Sheet: Building Social Capital with Comprehensive Planning and Ordinances (2.53 MB)
- Key Questions Research Summary: Social Capital (282 KB)
- Image Resources
- Topical Planning Guides
- Comprehensive Plan Review Checklists
- Example Plans
Other Resources
- Housing Density Fact Sheets
These are individual, two-page documents that present local examples of housing and neighborhoods in and near Minneapolis and Saint Paul. The housing examples range in density from seven dwelling units per acre (du/ac) to 110
- Healthy Nature Healthy People
This systematic review of the literature on parks and human health finds benefits in stress reduction. Published in Health Promotion International, it is available at many university libraries.
- Design Pointer Number 3: Defining Mixed-use Development
This is a PowerPoint presentation with the following contents: a brief history of mixed use; mixed-use development today; benefits of mixed use; mixed use scales and issues; and mixed use in the Twin Cities.
- InformeDesign
InformeDesign is a research and communication tool for designers. Its search engine provides research summaries on many health themes. Each article summary has the following elements: design issue, design criteria, key concepts, research method, limitations, and commentary.