About me
The Role of Transit in Fostering Bonding and Bridging Social Capital - Social capital—the networks, trust, and norms that connect individuals and enable collective action—is integral to health, happiness, and democracy (Putnam, 2001). In the U.S., declining social capital, a fragmented built environment, and ongoing crises in public health, mental health, and democracy are deeply interconnected (Putnam, 2020). Given transportation planning's role in shaping the built environment, the profession must prioritize rebuilding and strengthening social capital to mitigate these challenges.
Social capital is commonly divided into two types: the ‘bonding’ of internal connections that foster trust, cooperation, and collective action within communities (Brehm & Rahn, 1997; Inglehart, 1997; Thomas, 1996) and the ‘bridging’ of external networks that link diverse groups for mutual benefit (Baker, 1990; Belliveau et al., 1996; Bourdieu, 1986; Bourdieu and Wacquant, 1992; Burt, 1997; Knoke, 1999; Portes, 1998; Claridge, 2004). This research explores the critical balance between these two forms of social capital and investigates public transit as a tool for fostering both.
Using an ethnographic framework that positions public transit as a form of public space—and highlights the importance of public space to social capital—I collected and analyzed narrative and descriptive data on social interactions along bus routes in Los Angeles and Detroit. This presentation will share descriptive findings from both cities, quantitative models explaining patterns of social interactions, and the broader implications of ‘producing’ transit systems to 'construct' social interactions.
With these results, I highlight the potential for transit to serve as a catalyst for bonding and bridging social capital and offer insights for planners seeking to address today's pressing societal challenges.
