Exploring the role of neighborhood walkability on community currency activities: A case study of the crooked river alliance of TimeBanks
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2017 Elsevier B.V. Social capital is increasingly considered a means to address important planning objectives such as societal wellbeing and livability. Community Currency (CC) is considered one of the most effective forms of social capital. Understanding factors contributing to CC participation is the key to promoting successful CC systems. Despite the well-documented work on the demographic, socioeconomic, and policy factors related to CC, the roles of the physical environment, such as neighborhood walkability, have not been explored. Using the survey data collected from 77 users and 42 nonusers of CC, this exploratory study examined how neighborhood walkability influenced the levels of CC activities and community attachment. After controlling for demographic factors, the analysis showed walking-friendly neighborhood features were positively related to CC membership and CC activities. Further, CC participants and those living in walking-friendly neighborhoods showed significantly higher levels of community attachment compared to their counterparts. The results suggest that neighborhood physical environments may function to deter or promote CC participation, and that an effective CC promotion strategy may involve targeting walkable communities.
