Space appropriation and interaction: How to promote social cohesion in high-density urban environments?

Fostering social cohesion in high-density urban neighbourhoods is a critical urban challenge, as high-rise housing is often criticized for reducing interaction and diminishing trust between residents. This study argues that space appropriation, the practice of placing personal objects in common areas, can help address this challenge as it can facilitate interactions that foster trust and a sense of belonging. Drawing on environmental psychology and sociological perspectives, we conceptualize space appropriation as an essential form of neighbourhood communication, highlighting three mechanisms by which personal objects facilitate social interaction: signalling identity, regulating sensory exposure, and extending presence. We also propose that the visible placement patterns of personal objects serve as a valuable proxy for measuring the intensity of social interaction in a neighbourhood. To test our theory, we introduce Territory Network Analysis, a novel graph-theory-based method that uses the placement of personal objects in shared spaces to estimate neighbourhood interaction. Applied to twenty-eight public housing blocks in Singapore, Territory Network Analysis achieved a 78.9 % accuracy rate when comparing estimated social interaction scores from structured questionnaires of 231 respondents. The findings underscore space appropriation's significant contribution to community cohesion while highlighting the risks of restrictive management policies that stigmatize such behaviours. Such policies may inadvertently eliminate opportunities for interaction, ultimately hindering the formation of social bonds in high-rise residential buildings. This study therefore advocates for housing strategies that balance safety and functionality with the social potential of shared spaces, paving the way for more vibrant and cohesive communities. • Space appropriation can foster social cohesion in high-rise neighbourhoods. • Personal objects in corridors enable low-intensity floor-level neighbour interactions. • Space appropriation patterns reflect interaction patterns among high-rise residents. • Territory Network Analysis captures neighbourhood interactions with 78.9 % accuracy. • Restricting space appropriation can disrupt the natural occurrence of interaction.