Neighborhood Green Spaces and Social Capital: The Mediating Role of Affordances and Motivations to Use

Green spaces have the potential to foster social capital, yet we do not fully understand what motivates people to use these spaces and how green space use leads to social benefits. Recent studies suggest that perceptions of green space are more important than just physical attributes in encouraging usage and fostering social connections. Perceptions can determine green space usage, but we do not yet know exactly how perceptions of green space relate to social capital. We conducted a series of perception studies among residents of eight public housing estates in Singapore, to demonstrate that affordances serve as a bridge between the physical characteristics of a place and the ways people perceive and use it. These affordances – reflected in experiences of vitality , enjoyment , and comfort – shape motivations for use, such as exercising, socializing, and relaxing, which in turn foster stronger social capital.