The Effects of Sprawl on Neighborhood Social Ties: An Explanatory Analysis

Abstract

The notion that sprawl, in the form of low-density, auto-dependent neighborhoods, is inimical to neighborhood social bonds is a recurrent theme in the planning literature. Although this seems like common sense, relatively little empirical evidence exists to support this notion. This article tests this thesis using data from a cross-sectional survey of adults in Atlanta, Boston, and Los Angeles and from the 1990 decennial census. Although residential density was found to be unrelated to the formation of neighborhood social ties, it was significantly and substantially related to the degree to which residents of a neighborhood relied on their automobiles.