Conditions For Community

To what extent can community be found in Dutch neighborhoods? This study argued that the conditions for building a community are similar to the conditions for creating social capital: opportunity, ease and motivation are crucial. Hence, there needs to be places to meet, not too many alternatives outside the neighborhood and the actors involved should be mutually dependent on each other. In neighborhoods these conditions are realized if there are meeting places, like green spaces, benches etc.; if they have to make arrangements on (e.g.) parking lots and if they simply are often enough personally available. Interestingly, not much actual relationships are needed for people to feel at home: it is sufficient if one knows where neighbors live and if neighbors greet each other. Hence, the general idea that community consists of strong ties that are densely connected is not supported and deserves rethinking and reconceptualization.