Sustainability 15 09767 v2

sustainability
Article
Research on the Optimal Design of Community Public Space
from the Perspective of Social Capital
Shan Guan * and Jianjun Wang
College of Transportation Engineering, Chang’an University, Xi’an 710064, China; wjjun16@chd.edu.cn

* Correspondence: 2019021090@chd.edu.cn
Abstract: In the process of rapid urbanization and accelerated transformation of urban community
public space structures, the optimization of community space structure and the quality of the living
environment has attracted the attention of academic circles. Existing research has shown that the
well-being of community residents is positively correlated with community social capital. The
starting point of this study was howaimed to increase residents’ social capital and enhance their
sense of life happiness through a good community space environment design. This paper focuses
on the analysis of the spatial perception level of community residents and the correlation between
environmental space design elements and social capital and explores the environmental factors that
affect the accumulation of social capital of community residents to put forward suggestions for the
optimal design of community public spaces. A field survey of 30 communities in Shanghai City was
conducted based on relevant theories and practical cases both at home and abroad. The six dimensions
of “social cohesion”, “sense of community belonging”, “social participation”, “social network”,
“social interaction”, and “neighborhood relationship” are used to assign social capital, and the six
dimensions are respectively regressed with residents’ environmental perception of the community
and the objective environment of the community. The correlation between the social capital of
community residents and the three elements of public space (space, facilities, and social elements)
was obtained. According to the public space optimization design strategy of the three elements,
public space design principles for improving community social capital are proposed, including the
principles of diversification, humanization, suitability, and inclusiveness, and the corresponding
suggestions are proposed from three aspects: point space, line space, and surface space.
Citation: Guan, S.; Wang, J. Research
on the Optimal Design of
Community Public Space from the
Keywords: social capital; community public space; space optimization design; correlation analysis;
Perspective of Social Capital. regression analysis
Sustainability 2023, 15, 9767. https://
doi.org/10.3390/su15129767
Academic Editor: Nikos

1. Introduction
A. Salingaros
Community public spaces are important places for residents to participate in urban
Received: 26 March 2023 daily activities and to relax, socialize, entertain, relax, and enjoy good times [1]. High-
Revised: 9 June 2023 quality public spaces contribute to health, the economy, social cohesion, well-being, and
Accepted: 14 June 2023
biodiversity [2]. With the rapid urbanization and industrialization in China, social and
Published: 19 June 2023
economic development and the great improvement in the living conditions of residents
have brought new demands on the function and quality of public space [3]. Social capital
is an important concept of sociological research. It refers to a collection of actual or
Copyright: © 2023 by the authors.
potential resources obtained through the possession of an “institutionalized relationship
Licensee MDPI, Basel, Switzerland. network” [4]. Social capital mainly comes from the horizontal connection between people,
This article is an open access article including social networks, trust, and related norms [5]. It is an individual’s ability to obtain
distributed under the terms and scarce resources on social networks [6]. Community space has an important impact on
conditions of the Creative Commons the growth of community social capital [7]. A community is essentially a community of
Attribution (CC BY) license (https:// residents’ social life, and “the construction of community needs the joint participation
creativecommons.org/licenses/by/ of multiple subjects, and this benign interaction can only be realized by relying on the
4.0/). platform of public space” [8]. An important special attribute of the “community” is its
Sustainability 2023, 15, 9767. https://doi.org/10.3390/su15129767 https://www.mdpi.com/journal/sustainability

Sustainability 2023, 15, 9767 2 of 21
“life”. Community spaces are spaces for residents’ daily life activities. Because of the
characteristics of “openness” and “no threshold”, community public space has become an
important space for residents’ leisure and entertainment, exercise, chat and communication,
and cultural activities [9]. It is also the best place for residents to carry out mass public
activities, as well as an important platform for residents to establish social networks. The
residents’ activities in such public spaces are characterized by daily, frequent, and interest-
free activities. Social capital is an important resource that promotes the overall development
of communities and the individual development of residents [10]. From the perspective of
the community as a whole, good neighborhood relations and the resulting strong sense of
belonging are the bases of community governance [11]. The accumulation of community
social capital helps community managers organize and mobilize residents to participate in
community affairs, restrict residents’ behavior, maintain community public interests, and
promote community development [12]. Social capital and public space interact with each
other. Currently, the design of community public spaces is relatively closed, resulting in a
reduction in the frequency of communication, contact, and interaction between residents
in the community [13]. Simultaneously, the degree of social participation was greatly
reduced. It is difficult to contact new objects, and there is a certain distance from the
outside world. People’s trust and sense of security cannot be improved, the establishment
of interpersonal networks lacks relative space carriers, and the neighborhood relationship
is not as close as it used to be, which is not conducive to improving the happiness of
life [14]. At the same time, research shows that residents in the community can participate
in daily recreational activities and physical activities, which has a significant impact on
per capita well-being [15]. A sense of happiness in life is closely related to social capital.
From the perspective of social livelihood or economic development, enhancing a sense
of happiness requires sufficient attention from all walks of life. Therefore, for the design
of community public spaces, attention should be paid to design efficiency to improve the
sense of happiness and gain of community residents from the perspective of improving
social capital and to help improve the happiness of residents from the design level.
At present, research on social capital mainly focuses on its connotation and measure-
ment, whereas research on the relationship between architectural space and social capital
is scarce. This study aims to quantify community social capital, analyze the residents’
spatial environmental perception level and the correlation between spatial environmental
factors and social capital, explore the environmental factors that affect the accumulation
of social capital, and propose space optimization design suggestions from the perspective
of architectural design, which can provide new sociological theoretical support for the
development of public space architectural design.
As a form of capital, social capital should first have proliferative properties; however,
it also exists in social organizations and networks. Therefore, it exhibits the following
properties: 1. The subject’s social capital is an embedded result. Only when individuals
enter a certain network, they can have social capital, which differs from physical and
human capital. This does not depend on the existence of the individuals. 2. Social capital
continues to increase with its use, and once it is not used, it immediately dries up. 3. Social
capital has non-transferability “because it is an embedded result” and does not depend
on the subject. 4. The destruction of social capital is easy to achieve. In other words, the
formation of social capital is relatively difficult, but it is also fragile and easily destroyed.
The consequences of this destruction are serious. 5. Social capital refers to the nature of the
public good. The fundamental difference between social capital and other forms of capital
is that many forms of social capital have the characteristics of public goods. Social capital
also has external effects on its use.
The construction method of Christopher Alexander’s “Pattern Language” is a pre-
liminary exploration in the field of architecture to solve complex problems in the human
settlement environment system [16]. Christopher Alexander criticized the top-down design
method of modern designers, advocating the process of a large number of local construc-
tion behaviors gathering and evolving on their own. He believes that the environment
generated by “Pattern Language” is a complex system of overall and local harmony [17].
Christopher Alexander’s “Pattern Language” provides a solution for informal settlements,
as they have many public spaces that bring prosperity to public life. Another public space
scholar, Jan Gehl, advocates for conducting practical surveys of public spaces, with all
indicators designed to be measured through human senses [18], and some scholars can
extend Jan Gehl’s method from investigating small urban areas to analyzing the entire
city [19].
In recent years, when the COVID-19 pandemic emerged, the planning weaknesses
of most urban planning models were exposed. Some aspects advocated by the concept of
“15 min city” have gained attention during the pandemic. The concept of “15 min city”
is in line with the promotion of proximity dimensions, emphasizing walking and social
interaction within the city. Alexander and Jan Gehl supported this viewpoint through their
paper on human-scale urban design [20], and some scholars have predicted that cities will
benefit from the widespread acceptance and implementation of the concept of “15 min
city” [21].
The research achievements of these scholars are not only the thinking research methods
in the field of human settlement environment construction but also an effective way of
understanding and analyzing the universal laws of things’ development. Based on the
research results of the above scholars, this article introduces the sociological theory of
“social capital” into community planning research and establishes an evaluation system
for community public space based on its key factors, thus proposing a design strategy for
updating existing community public spaces in cities based on the accumulation of social
capital. The innovation lies in the following two aspects:
(1) Innovation in perspective: Exploring the spatial design of urban communities from
the perspective of urban communities by combining social capital theory.
The study explores the spatial design of urban communities under the theory of social
capital, which is different from traditional urban spatial construction models. It explores
the applicability of social capital theory to the public space of communities, providing
new ideas and perspectives for systematically analyzing and solving community spatial
development problems.
(2) Method innovation: Explore methods and strategies for improving the quality of
community public spaces in the context of the new era.
The research focuses on the many problems that arise in the development process of
community public space construction, taking specific spatial design as the starting point,
and constructs a scenario-based design method framework composed of the spatial envi-
ronment, node public space, and finally local space. It is a research framework composed
of multiple levels and perspectives. Covering three dimensions: macro-environmental
construction, meso-spatial quality improvement, and micro-spatial local element design,
corresponding design strategies are proposed to provide effective methods and strategies
for the construction and development of community public spaces and spatial design.
The remainder of this paper is organized as follows. The second section is a literature
review. The third section describes the definitions and concepts. The fourth section
describes the research methods and data sources. The fifth section provides a detailed
analysis of the results. The sixth section summarizes the relevant suggestions proposed in
this study. The seventh section is the conclusion and outlook.
2. Measurement of Community Social Capital and Environmental Perception

2.1. Research on Social Capital
2.1.1. Research on the Role of Social Capital
Daskalopoulou (2023) analyzed the mediating role of social capital in creating social
value in social entrepreneurship [22]. Giacovelli (2022) studied the social aspects of social
capital used to influence energy transformation [23]. Sun (2021) analyzed the spatial
environment perception level of elderly people in nursing homes and the correlation
between environmental space design elements and social capital [24]. Zhang (2017) believes
that community public spaces have important constraints and impacts on community social
capital [25]. Xiong Yihan (2020) believes that an important reason for the lack of social
capital in urban community residents is that the spatial arrangement of the community
cannot create personalized social interaction opportunities for residents, leading to the
disappearance of neighborhood relationships [26].
Summarizing the above literature, it is found that research on the Community Gov-
ernance model based on social capital theory, urban Community Governance based on
social capital theory, and community construction in old urban areas based on social capital
theory are recent research directions.
2.1.2. Research on the Patterns of Social Capital Formation

In the report by Wang, D. (2023), four different Community Governance models were
summarized using social capital theory [27]. Li Yanfei (2022) discussed the optimization
strategy of urban Community Governance from the perspective of social capital and studied
the positive impact of social capital on residents’ interaction, public participation, and other
behaviors [28]. Wenjie (2021) believes that exploring community construction in old urban
areas from the perspective of social capital is worthy of research and promotion [29].
Summarizing the above literature, it is found that social capital has a mediating role,
can affect energy transformation, and can affect the spatial environment perception level of
elderly people, public space has constraints on community social capital, and an important
reason for the lack of social capital among urban community residents is the lack of social
interaction opportunities.
2.1.3. Research on the Measurement of Social Capital

Bi Xiangyang suggested that the construction of community social capital should be
placed within the framework of a multilevel latent variable model and modeled using
multilevel confirmatory factor analysis [30]. Fang Yaqin incorporated five dimensions
and thirty indicators into a community social capital measurement table through factor
analysis [31]. Eriksson used principal component analysis to measure the level of social
capital at the community level and studied how social capital is related to social population
and socioeconomic factors [32].
Summarizing the above literature, we found that multilevel confirmatory factor analy-
sis, factor analysis, and principal component analysis methods have been applied to the
study of social capital.
2.2. Research on Public Space

2.2.1. Research on Specific Issues
Mariano (2023) proposed paths and projects conducive to achieving sustainable and
inclusive public spaces to establish new relationships between cities and the natural envi-
ronment [33]. Yan Decheng (2017) revealed that public space is an indispensable carrier
of the dynamic dissemination of corporate social networks and the appreciation and uti-
lization of social capital [34]. Zhou (2022) believes that a completely rural public space is
conducive to promoting the comprehensive revitalization of rural areas [35]. Fang Yaming
believes that examining the construction and development of urban community public
space in China from a humanistic perspective is essential. Incorporating the optimized
allocation of urban community public space into the strategic layout of building a better
life and promoting the modernization of national governance is an important embodiment
of the people-centered development concept and an inevitable choice for the high-quality
development of urban communities [36]. Wang Yanan used the SPSS mathematical analysis
to explore the impact of the urban community public space environment on residents’
emotions [37]. Liu Xueying used the Delphi method to build an evaluation system for
the resilience of urban community public spaces from the perspective of epidemic preven-
tion [38]. Xing Nianchen turned to the theory of environmental behavior research as a guide,
combined with geographic information systems (GIS) to evaluate the public space potential
of mixed residential communities and considered the two main elements of time and space
that are most closely related to people’s use of space to use GIS for traffic reachability
analysis. Using GIS to simulate and calculate the potential regional distribution of public
space, a potential evaluation system for public spaces in mixed residential communities
was constructed [39].
Summarizing the above literature, it has been found that research on inclusive public
spaces, bar spaces, rural public spaces, urban community public spaces with a people-
centered development concept, urban community public spaces from the perspective of epi-
demic prevention, and mixed residential communities has received attention from scholars.
2.2.2. Research Targeting Specific Regions and Specific Facilities

Li Yanqun (2021) drew inspiration from the theory of spatial production and stud-
ied whether impoverished villages in southwestern Yunnan could achieve high-quality
revitalization and sustainable development in response to the phenomenon of spatial re-
construction [40]. Kamalipour (2023) analyzed how the public space of countries in the
Southern Hemisphere of Earth was formed, revealing the spatial structure and incremental
changes [41]. Cheng (2021) believes that the form and function of rural public spaces play
an important role in promoting rural development [42]. Hwang (2023) argued that shared
spaces, such as university-affiliated welfare facilities, have not been well utilized [43]. Ma
Yilin (2021) analyzed the problems and reasons for the renovation of public spaces in old
residential areas [44]. Yuzhen (2019) believes that the traditional endogenous interactions
and cultural sustainability of communities are gradually declining and breaking down.
To meet the need to create a social governance pattern of co-construction, co-governance,
and sharing in the new era, the maintenance mechanism of modern urban community
communities can be reconstructed from the perspective of internal propaganda [45].
Summarizing the above literature, it has been found that research targeting specific
regions, such as impoverished villages in southwestern Yunnan that can cope with spa-
tial reconstruction, public spaces in countries in the southern hemisphere of Earth, and
rural public spaces, has received attention. There are issues with the poor utilization of
shared spaces, the transformation of public spaces, and the gradual decline in traditional
endogenous interactions in communities.
2.2.3. Research on Spatial Environment Perception

Wang et al. found that spatial perception had a significant positive impact on leisure
satisfaction, and leisure satisfaction had a significant mediating effect on the relationship
between spatial perception and leisure loyalty [46]. Qiao et al. found that the higher the
perceived natural feature score of neighborhood green spaces, the higher the subjective
well-being level of residents is [47]. Peng Yongzhi began with an analysis of the recre-
ational characteristics and spatial perception needs of the elderly population, exploring the
spatial supportive environmental characteristics and elements of recreational activities for
the elderly in community parks, and analyzing their impact mechanism on recreational
activities for the elderly [48]. Zhou Jun believes that spatial perception is the prerequisite
and foundation for reproducing spatial cognitive behaviors such as environmental images
in memory. A high-quality spatial environment encourages users to have a good psycho-
logical experience and affects their health and emotional and social behavior [49]. Song
Jingwen used VR and eye trackers to study the side interface morphology and perception
of famous pedestrian commercial streets in China, providing a reference for the research
method of virtual and real interactions for urban spatial perception [50]. Xu Yiwen believed
that the spatial perception of community public service facilities can be multidimensional,
which is an organic fusion of the psychological perception of the material environment and
behavioral preference perception [51].
Summarizing the above literature, it was found that spatial perception has a mediating
effect on residents’ subjective well-being, entertainment, and good psychological experience
for the elderly.
2.2.4. Research on the Quality of Life of Residents

Xiao Qiao believed that the various drawbacks caused by rapid urbanization have
triggered and exacerbated the mental health problems of urban residents. Neighborhood
green spaces are closely related to people and play an important role in public health.
Research on health-oriented green spaces is a task in the field of landscape architecture;
it is also an organic integration of landscape architecture and other related and public
health fields. In this context, the impact of neighborhood green spaces on the subjective
well-being of urban residents urgently requires systematic and in-depth research [47]. Xu
Guangqing believes that street space, as a public space that accommodates residents for
outdoor activities, is often overlooked in the planning and design proposed in the early
stages of urban development. This suppresses other behaviors in residents’ daily lives
to varying degrees, leading to a lack of vitality and a lack of human touch, as well as
reducing residents’ sense of happiness. Therefore, a deep understanding of the impact of
environmental factors on residents’ daily life behavior is of great significance for guiding
the renovation, optimization, and transformation of residential streets [52]. Miaomiao
believes that street space is an important component of urban public spaces. Compared to
the macro-level, the micro-level-built environment has a more direct impact on people’s
physical and mental health. Therefore, research on the healing of urban living street spaces
on a close human scale is important [53].
Summarizing the above literature, it was found that public spaces are closely related
to residents’ mental health, happiness, and physical and mental healing.
A summary of the existing research findings reveals that domestic and foreign scholars’
research on social capital mainly focuses on the relationship between social capital and
community development, the role of social capital, and strategies for cultivating social
capital. Among these, studying the relationship between social capital and communities,
as well as methods for cultivating social capital, is of great value for studying the rela-
tionship between social capital and the architectural spatial environment. Many studies
have focused on social capital and community research, with a few scholars studying the
relationship between social capital and the public space environment. Therefore, in the
field of architecture, relevant research requires further exploration.
The proposal of this research hypothesis mainly stems from the model established
based on existing theoretical and empirical research on social capital and public space
optimization. By analyzing the mutual relationship between the two, we summarize the
possible hypotheses. This study was based on a literature review and analysis. The focus
of this study was to examine the spatial perception level of community residents and the
interaction and impact mechanism between environmental space design elements and
social capital. The hypotheses of this study were proposed to determine the direction of
subsequent empirical research. Therefore, this study assumes that community social capital
has a positive impact on the optimization of community public spaces.
3. Measurement of Community Social Capital and Environmental Perception

3.1. Definition and Measurement Method of Community Social Capital
Social capital is a concept that originates from “economic capital” but transcends
“economic capital”. The academic community has not reached a consensus on its definition,
which is closely related to specific historical backgrounds and research views [54,55].
Generally speaking, social capital can be explained from micro, medium, and macro
perspectives according to the different objects of social capital (countries, organizations,
and individuals). From a micro perspective, social capital is the interaction among different
individuals in their networks and groups; from a medium perspective, social capital is
the difference between the social status and treatment of the members of the community
determined by the community organization; from a macro perspective, social capital
is a group of social members to meet production needs, management needs, solidarity,
and cooperation [56]. Social networks play an important role in social capital. Social
capital and networks are inseparable. As a resource, social capital plays a positive role in
different groups of societies and can bring corresponding returns to different members of
the network. Social capital can be considered as a combination of resources. There are two
ways to measure community social capital: one is to construct the overall social network
of community residents (to represent social capital) through questionnaires or interviews
and to explain the accumulation of social capital in the network with the characteristics of
the overall network structure, node network value, network connection strength, etc. [57].
The social network data in recent years provides new possibilities for building the overall
network, and the second is to start from the basic concept of social capital and use the
form of a questionnaire to let residents answer questions representing different dimensions
of social capital (fill in the quantity or judgment degree) to measure community social
capital. Based on foreign research, domestic scholars have constructed a multi-dimensional
measurement system suitable for China’s national conditions (including seven dimensions:
local social network, community sense of belonging, community cohesion, non-local social
networking, volunteerism, reciprocity and general trust, and community trust). and
completed a test of the measurement system based on the city of Shanghai community
survey data [58].
Scholars have measured social capital. Narayan believes that the measurement of
social capital should include dimensions such as trust, community participation, general
norms, neighborhood connections, harmonious coexistence, daily socializing, and volun-
teerism, and refined social capital into four aspects for measurement: collective efficacy,
community awareness, community cohesion, and community capacity [59]. Based on the
Social Capital Assessment Tools (SCAT) developed by the World Bank, scholars such as
Harpham optimized A-SCAT to measure structural social capital from dimensions such
as participation in public affairs, collective action, and organizational connections [60].
Cognitive social capital was measured from dimensions such as trust, social support, so-
cial cohesion, community belonging, and reciprocity and cooperation De Silva suggests
measuring social capital from eight dimensions: community participation, social support,
social cohesion, community belonging, social trust, public affairs participation, and family
social capital. Based on the relevant research results from abroad, domestic scholars have
developed richer measurement indicators [61]. Zhao measured the community social capi-
tal of residents in the western region in two dimensions: trust and public participation [62].
Pei Zhijun measured village social capital in six dimensions: universal trust, normative
trust, shared vision, social support, formal networks, and informal networks [63]. Yong and
Guirong measured community social capital from seven dimensions and twenty-nine fac-
tors, including local social networks, community belonging, community cohesion, non-local
social interaction, volunteerism, reciprocity and general trust, and community trust [55].
By summarizing and integrating previous research results, the questionnaire for this
study was formed [64–66]. The whole questionnaire contained three main contents: first,
the basic description of personal situation; second, social capital measurement; and last, the
environmental perception measurement of community public space. Referring to relevant
research on the perception of the public space environment [67–71], this article selects
three elements of public space. Referring to Zhang’s research [72], the text constructs a
social cohesion index. The measurement of social capital mainly included six aspects:
“social cohesion”, “sense of community belonging”, “social participation”, “social net-
work”, “social interaction”, and “neighborhood relationship”, with a total of twenty-three
questions (Table 1).
3.2. Measurement of Spatial Environment Perception of Public Buildings

For the measurement of public space environment perception, we mainly start with
two aspects: public space environment perception and building external environment
perception and make detailed inquiries to have a comprehensive grasp of the overall space
environment. In the measurement of residents’ perception of the space environment, the
author asked 12 questions to understand the perception of the space environment of public
buildings. The details are as follows: space elements of public activity space (diversity,
enclosure, and accessibility); facility elements (the abundance of commercial facilities,

the comfort of activity facilities, landscape work, the satisfaction of fitness facilities and
landscape greening, the abundance of service facilities, and the distribution of activity
facilities), and social factors (public security level, traffic service, and sanitation level) are
assigned. According to a five-point Likert scale, 1 = very satisfied, 2 = relatively satisfied,
3 = general, 4 = relatively dissatisfied, and 5 = very dissatisfied. In addition, three subjective
questions were added: the way you like to chat with others; the most suitable place to chat
with family or friends; if there is a space in the community that can be provided for nearby
children to play or share with nearby residents, are you willing to participate? The main
purpose is to provide directions for future recommendations on the optimized design of
public building spaces. Through the measurement of the environmental perception of the
building space, we can understand the residents’ perception of the space in the process of
living and analyze the correlation with social capital.
Table 1. Six dimensions of residents’ social capital in their communities.
Dimensions Indicator (23 Questions)

High rate of receiving care and assistance
The proportion of equal educational opportunities is relatively high
Social cohesion The proportion of equal conditions in public facilities is relatively high
Good social security situation
A higher proportion of people believe that they can get along well with each other
Be proud of your community
I like my neighborhood
Community attachment
It would be a pity if we had to move
Most residents have a high spirit of participation
Frequency of participating in community public activities
Participation: community political activities
Participation: community public welfare activities
Social participation
Members: volunteer organizations
Participation: community cultural and entertainment activities
Participation: community public affairs management activities
The number of residents who greet each other when meeting in the community
A good relationship with the number of residents who can visit
Social network
Number of ordinary friends living in the community
Number of intimate friends living in the community
The number of neighbors visiting you in the past two weeks
Social interaction
The number of times you visit your neighbors in the past two weeks
Can borrow tools from neighbors smoothly
Neighborhood relations
Number of types of neighborhood conflicts (negative)
4. Data Sources and Research Methods

Considering the limitations of research capabilities and costs, the Zhengtong com-
munity with universal representativeness was selected from the local Shanghai city. As
shown in Figures 1 and 2, the Zhengtong Community was founded in 2003, with a total
area of approximately 1 square kilometer and more than 20,000 people. The Zhengtong
Community is a new type of industrial and trade area formed in recent years in the con-
struction of new rural areas and rural housing projects. The commercial economy in the
community is prosperous, and the composition of internal personnel is diverse. It has good
representativeness among many local communities and is a suitable research object with
research value.
Community is a new type of industrial and trade area formed in recent years in the con-
struction of new rural areas and rural housing projects. The commercial economy in the
community is prosperous, and the composition of internal personnel is diverse. It has
good representativeness among many local communities and is a suitable research object
with research value.
Figure 1. Schematic diagram of the study area.

Figure 1. Schematic diagram of the study area.
4.1. Study Area and Data Source
This study uses first-hand data from a survey of residents’ social capital and envi-
ronmental perception in Shanghai City in May 2021. The survey adopts the method of
staged random sampling: First of all, 30 typical communities were selected according to the
geographical location, housing type, construction age, and other conditions, and the survey
area covered 6 municipal districts and 11 streets in Shanghai city; Secondly, 50 samples
aged 18–65 were randomly selected from each residential community and distributed ques-
tionnaires. A total of 1500 questionnaires were distributed, and 1480 valid questionnaires
were returned, with an effective recovery rate of 98.67%. This study selects 1425 samples
with complete records (samples with no missing values of the variables concerned in the
study and living in the current residence for more than 1 year) to build a basic database.
Table 2 shows the socioeconomic characteristics of the sample, in which there are slightly
more women than men, and the age distribution is relatively balanced. Most residents are
married and have local household registration. The monthly income of the family was
mainly between 5000 and 15,000 yuan, and the average length of residence in the current
residence was 14.16 years. Overall, the distribution of socio-economic attributes of the
sample is relatively balanced, which is close to the overall level of Shanghai City.
ty 2023, 15,Sustainability
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Figure 2. Basic situation of the study area.

Figure 2. Basic situation of the study area.
4.1. Study Area and Data

Table Source
2. Respondents’ Socio-economic Attributes (n = 1425).
This study uses first-hand data from a survey of residents’ social capital and environ-
mental perception Proportion (%)/Standard
Variablein Shanghai City in May 2021. The survey adopts the method
Quantity/Average of staged
Deviation
random sampling: First of all, 30 typical communities were selected according to the geo-
graphical location, housingFemale
Gender
841
type, construction age, and other conditions, and the survey 50.9
Male 584 49.1
area covered 6 municipalNon-local
districts and 11 streets in Shanghai
385 city; Secondly, 50 samples 27.0
Residence
aged 18–65 were randomlyLocal selected from each residential community and distributed
1040 73.0
questionnaires. A total ofUnmarried
Marriage 1500 questionnaires were distributed,
254 and 1480 valid question- 17.8
Married 1171
naires were returned, with an effective recovery rate of 98.67%. This study selects 1425 82.2
18–35 373 26.2
samples with complete records 36–45
(samples with no missing 311
values of the variables 21.8 con-
Age
cerned in the study and living 46–55in the current residence 274
for more than 1 year) to build 19.2a
basic database. Table 2 shows the socioeconomic characteristics
56–65 467 of the sample, in which 32.8
there are slightly more Less than RMB
women than5000 226
men, and the age distribution 15.9
is relatively balanced.
Monthly income 5000–15,000 856 60.2
Most residents are married and have local household registration. The monthly income of
More than RMB 15,000 343 24.1
the family was
Average length of residence mainly between 5000 and 15,000 yuan, and the
14.16 average length of residence
12.23
in the current residence was 14.16 years. Overall, the distribution of socio-economic a rib-
utes of the sample is relatively balanced, which is close to the overall level of Shanghai
City.
4.2. Research Methods

This study intends to use the hierarchical linear regression model (HLM) for data
analysis and construct the linear function Y of each dimension of the social capital of the
surveyed community, so that the influencing factors of the public space of the surveyed
community are the set X = {x1 , x2 , x3 }, where x1 , x2 , and x3 are the facility, social, and space
elements, respectively. A multivariate linear function Y for all dimensions of social capital
in the survey community Y = α0 + αn Xn + ε, N ∈ {1,2,3}, that is, Y = α0 + α1 X1 + α2 X2
+ α3 X3 + ε, is constructed, where X1 , X2 , and X3 are function arguments; α0 , α1 , α2 , and
α3 are the regression coefficients; ε is a random variable, and its value will change with
different values. Therefore, the regression equation is as follows:
E(Y ) = α0 + α1 X1 + α2 X2 +α3 X3
Similarly, the regression equation shown below can be obtained by modeling different
spatial elements of public spaces using multiple regression models:
 
 E( X1 ) = β10 + β11 x11 + β12 x12 + β13 x13 
E( X2 ) = β20 + β21 x21 + β22 x22 + β23 x23 + β24 x24 + β25 x25
E( X3 ) = β30 + β31 x31 + β32 x32 + β33 x33
 
where x11 = diversity, x12 = fitness, x13 = accessibility, x21 = richness of commercial facilities,
x22 = comfort of activity facilities, x23 = satisfaction of landscape work, fitness facilities,
and landscape greening, x24 = richness of service facilities, x25 = distribution of activity
facilities, x31 = security level, x32 = traffic service, and x33 = sanitation level. Then, the
least squares method was used to obtain its estimated value and carry out the multivariate
coefficient test.
5. Results
The results include the evaluation index of spatial elements (diversity, enclosure,
and reachability) in this study; facility elements (the richness of commercial facilities,
the comfort of activity facilities, landscape sketches, the satisfaction with fitness activity
facilities and landscape greening, the richness of service facilities, and distribution of
activity facilities); assigned values to social factors (public security level, transportation
service level, and environmental sanitation level), based on the five-point Likert scale,
1 = very satisfied, 2 = quite satisfied, 3 = average, 4 = relatively dissatisfied, and 5 = very
dissatisfied (Table 3).
Table 3. Variable assignments.
Element Types Valuation Indicators Assignment Methods

Spatial elements Diversity
Enclosure degree
Reachability
Facility Elements Abundance of commercial facilities
Comfort of activity facilities 1 = very satisfied; 2 = quite satisfied;
Satisfaction with landscape 3 = average; 4 = relatively
sketches, fitness facilities, and dissatisfied; 5 = very dissatisfied
landscape greening
Abundance of service facilities
Distribution of activity facilities
Social element Public security level
Transportation services
Environmental sanitation level
By weighing and normalizing all influencing factors and their sub-influencing factors,
the proportions of the spatial, facility, and social factors were 28.48%, 36.39%, and 35.13%,
respectively. It can be seen that facility factors account for the highest proportion among
the influencing factors of existing community public spaces. The final impact results for
each factor are presented in Table 4.
Table 4. Variable weighting.
Element Types Valuation Indicators Weight Value

Spatial elements Diversity 10.36226
Enclosure degree 11.96293
Reachability 6.149958
Facility Elements Abundance of commercial facilities 4.254423
Comfort of activity facilities 13.85847
Satisfaction with landscape
sketches, fitness facilities, and 0.758214
landscape greening
Abundance of service facilities 3.706824
Distribution of activity facilities 13.81634
Social element Public security level 14.78517
Transportation services 5.307498
Environmental sanitation level 15.03791
5.1. Regression Analysis of Three Elements of Public Space

The linear regression analysis results of the factors are shown in Table 5.
Table 5. Results of Linear Regression Analysis of Factors.
Denormalization
Independent Coefficient
Factor Beta t p VIF R2 F D-W
Variable Standard
B
Error
constant (β10) 0.716 0.197 - 3.564 0.001
Spatial
Diversity (x11) 0.261 0.104 0.395 2.398 0.020 4.027 F(3,45) = 36.125,
element 0.712 1.796
Fitness (x12) 0.292 0.15 0.322 1.76 0.084 4.987 p = 0.000
(X1)
Accessibility (x13) 0.141 0.147 0.1667 0.928 0.358 4.868
constant (β20) 0.242 0.23 - 1.09 0.285 -
Abundance of
commercial 0.103 0.107 0.092 0.943 0.352 1.724
facilities (x21)
Comfort of activity
0.331 0.126 0.364 2.581 0.013 3.467
facilities (x22)
Facility Fitness facilities and
elements F(5,46) = 26.221,
greening −0.021 0.119 −0.024 −0.165 0.872 3.608 0.752 2.229
(X2) p = 0.000
satisfaction (x23)
Abundance of
service facilities 0.088 0.132 0.108 0.667 0.508 4.503
(x24)
Distribution of
activity facilities 0.345 0.345 0.198 0.423 3.165 0.003
(x25)
constant (β40) 0.379 0.212 - 1.793 0.08
Public security (x41) 0.353 0.137 0.398 2.592 0.012 3.178
Social Transportation F(3,46) = 37.500,
factors 0.125 0.125 0.134 0.984 0.332 2.996 0.711 p = 0.000 1.664
services (x42)
Sanitation level
0.357 0.093 0.413 3.905 0.000 1.762
(x43)
5.1.1. Spatial Elements

Taking diversity, fitness, and accessibility as independent variables, and taking spatial
elements as dependent variables for linear regression analysis, the R square value of the
model is 0.712, meaning that diversity, enclosure, and accessibility can explain 71.2% of the
changes in spatial elements; during the F test of the model, it was found that the model
passed the F test (F = 36.125, p = 0.000 < 0.05); that is to say, at least one of the diversity,
enclosure, and accessibility would have an impact on the spatial elements, and the model
formula was: spatial elements = 0.716 + 0.261 × diversity + 0.292 × enclosure + 0.141 ×
accessibility. Specific analysis shows that: (1) The regression coefficient value of diversity
is 0.261 (p = 0.002 < 0.05), which indicates that diversity will have a significant positive
impact on spatial elements. (2) The values of p for enclosure and accessibility are greater
than 0.05, which means that they will not affect the spatial elements; it can be concluded
from the summary and analysis that the degree of the enclosure will have a significant
positive impact on the spatial elements. However, the diversity and accessibility variables
do not affect the spatial elements.
5.1.2. Facility Elements

Considering the abundance of commercial facilities, the comfort of activity facilities,
the satisfaction of landscape work, fitness facilities and landscape greening, the abundance
of service facilities, and the distribution of activity facilities as independent variables, the
facility elements were used as dependent variables for linear regression analysis. The R
square value of the model is 0.752, which means the abundance of commercial facilities,
the comfort of activity facilities, the satisfaction of landscape work, fitness facilities and
landscape greening, the abundance of service facilities, and the distribution of activity facil-
ities can explain 75.2% of the change of facility elements. F test (F = 26.219, p = 0.000 < 0.05)
shows that at least one of the commercial facility abundance, activity facility comfort, land-
scape sketch, fitness activity facility and landscape greening satisfaction, service facility
abundance, activity facility distribution will have an impact on the facility elements, and
the model formula is as follows: facility element = 0.242 + 0.103 × commercial facility
abundance + 0.331 × activity facility comfort −0.021 × landscape sketch Satisfaction with
fitness facilities and landscaping + 0.088 × richness of service facilities + 0.345 × distribu-
tion of activity facilities. The analysis shows that the comfort of activity facilities and the
distribution of activity facilities will have a significant positive impact on the facility ele-
ments. However, the abundance of commercial facilities, landscape work, fitness facilities,
landscape greening satisfaction, and the abundance of service facilities do not affect the
facility elements.
5.1.3. Social Factors

Taking the level of public security, traffic service, and sanitation as independent
variables, and taking social factors as dependent variables for linear regression analysis,
the R-square value of the model can be obtained from the above model. This means that
the level of public security, traffic service, and sanitation can explain 71.1% of the changes
in social factors. Model F test (F = 37.406, p = 0.000 < 0.05), which means that at least
one of the public security levels, traffic services, or sanitation levels will have an impact
on social factors. From the above, we can draw the model formula as follows: social
factor = 0.379 + 0.353 × public security level + 0.125 × traffic service + 0.357 × sanitation
level. The analysis showed that the level of public security and sanitation will have a
significant positive impact on social factors. However, transportation services do not affect
social factors.
5.2. Regression Analysis of Social Capital

A large number of sociological studies have shown that personal attributes affect
individuals’ attitudes towards neighbors, recognition of community identity, attachment to
communities, etc., that is, the social capital of residents’ communities is related to personal
attributes [43]. Public space architectural design is more concerned with the impact of
community public space elements on social capital. Combining all the factors of public
spaces, the main factors were selected and analyzed. The degree of enclosure, the comfort
of activity facilities, the richness of service facilities, the level of public security, and the
Sustainability 2023, 15, x FOR PEER REVIEW 15 of 22
level of sanitation were taken as independent variables, and the six dimensions of social
capital were taken as dependent variables for the linear regression analysis (See Figure 3).
Figure
Figure3.3.Correlation
Correlationanalysis
analysisof
ofvarious
variousdimensions
dimensionsof
ofsocial
socialcapital
capitaland
andspatial
spatialelements.
elements.
5.2.1.Social
5.2.1. SocialCohesion
Cohesion
Regressionanalysis
Regression analysiswas
wasconducted
conductedon onthe
thedegree
degreeof
ofenclosure,
enclosure,the
thecomfort
comfortofofactivity
activity
facilities, the richness of service facilities, public security level, and sanitation level. With
facilities, the richness of service facilities, public security level, and sanitation level. With
social cohesion as the dependent variable, the analysis showed that the degree of
social cohesion as the dependent variable, the analysis showed that the degree of enclo- enclosure
and and
sure public security
public levellevel
security hadhad
a significant
a significantpositive impact
positive on the
impact social
on the cohesion
social of the
cohesion of
respondents, with regression coefficients of 0.258 and 0.295, respectively, indicating that
the respondents, with regression coefficients of 0.258 and 0.295, respectively, indicating
the higher the degree of enclosure and public security level in the public activity space, the
that the higher the degree of enclosure and public security level in the public activity
better the social cohesion of the respondents is.
space, the be er the social cohesion of the respondents is.
5.2.2. Community A achment

Taking the sense of community belonging as the dependent variable for regression
analysis, the degree of enclosure and the richness of service facilities in the public activity
space had a significant positive impact on the respondents’ sense of community belong-
ing. The regression coefficients are 0.365 and 0.224, respectively, indicating that the higher
5.2.2. Community Attachment

Taking the sense of community belonging as the dependent variable for regression
analysis, the degree of enclosure and the richness of service facilities in the public activity
space had a significant positive impact on the respondents’ sense of community belonging.
The regression coefficients are 0.365 and 0.224, respectively, indicating that the higher the
degree of enclosure and the quality of service facilities in the public activity space, the more
conducive respondents’ sense of community belonging is.
5.2.3. Social Participation

Taking social participation as the dependent variable for regression analysis, the
comfort of activity facilities, the level of public security, and the level of environmental
sanitation in the public activity space had a significant positive impact on the respondents’
sense of community belonging. The regression coefficients are 0.220, 0.376, and 0.265,
respectively, which means that the higher the quality of service facilities, public security,
and environmental sanitation in the public activity space, the more conducive it is to
respondents’ social participation.
5.2.4. Social Network

The analysis showed that the degree of enclosure, the comfort of activity facilities, and
the richness of service facilities had a significant positive impact on the social connection of
residents, with regression coefficients of 0.243, 0.3, and 0.25, respectively. Good facilities
are conducive to mutual communication among the residents.
5.2.5. Social Interaction

The comfort of activity facilities, the richness of service facilities, and the level of
public security have a significant positive impact on the social interaction of residents, with
regression coefficients of 0.254, 0.33, and 0.27, respectively.
5.2.6. Neighborhood Relationship

The degree of enclosure, the richness of service facilities, and the level of public security
had a significant positive impact on the neighborhood relationship in the community. The
regression coefficients are 0.264, 0.23, and 0.327, respectively.
5.2.7. Further Discussion

Fang Yaqin’s research found that urban communities in China are not unrelated
neighbors but rather become regional communities due to a certain amount of social
capital [36]. Guangjun found that urban community social capital is a mutually beneficial
relationship formed by individuals and organizations within the urban community through
long-term internal and external interactions, under the norms of reciprocity rules. This is
similar to the research results in this article [67].
6. Suggestions on the Optimization Design of Community Public Space from the

Perspective of Social Capital
The architectural environment can have an impact on people’s psychological behavior.
Environmental cognition studies the laws of human cognition and understanding of the
environment. Spatial perception has interactivity: residents’ perception of a specific external
spatial environment of a building is complex and rich, and one type of psychological
sensation may cause or suppress another type of psychological sensation. The process of
spatial perception can be divided into obtaining spatial information, establishing spatial
patterns, and forming symbolic spaces. Only when the material space environment meets
people’s psychological needs, they can obtain good psychological feelings during the
perception process of the material space environment, thereby stimulating the occurrence
of behavior and promoting the vitality of the environment.
Quality of life in a society is related to social capital and social cohesion. Urban
planning should organize the spatial elements of a city (such as green spaces) to promote
social cohesion and a sense of locality. Social cohesion can reduce uncertainty because
Sustainability 2023, 15, x FOR PEER REVIEW
coordinated and conscious citizen networks can create inclusive spaces for the livability 17 of 22
of
cities. In this case, livability is created by communities with socioeconomic equality and
social cohesion. The livability of a community is based on its social cohesion, which can
manifest
Based ason
social networks in between
the relationship specific geographical spaces
the social capital [73]. space and public space
of public
Based
elements on the relationship
obtained between
from the previous the social
analysis, capital of principles
optimization public space
andand public
design space
sugges-
elements obtained from the previous analysis, optimization principles and design
tions for community public space are proposed to improve the quality of life in society. sugges-
tions for community public space are proposed to improve the quality of life in society.
6.1. Design Principles
6.1. Design Principles
6.1.1.
6.1.1. Principle
Principle ofof Diversification
Diversification
Public
Public spaces from
spaces from different
different angles
angles and
and dimensions
dimensions are are optimized.
optimized. ItIt is
is advocated
advocated to to
mold community public spaces in different atmospheres using open thinking.
mold community public spaces in different atmospheres using open thinking. According According to
to
thethe function,
function, location,
location, size,size, users,
users, and other
and other factorsfactors
of the of the space,
public public itspace,
can show it can show
different
different characteristics,
characteristics, enrich space
enrich people’s people’s space experience,
experience, and keep and keep the
the public public
space full space full
of vitality
of vitality
(See Figure (See
4). Figure 4).
Figure 4.
Figure Diversified design
4. Diversified design of
of public
public space.
space.
6.1.2. Humanization Principle

Considering people’s use and feelings as the starting point of facility optimization,
rather than simply considering the functionality of the facility, integrating the people-ori-
ented concept into the optimized design will make the facilities more comfortable, con-
venient, and warm. The humanized design will pay a ention to whether details such as
scale, location, and operation mode conform to the behavior habits of the residents, so as
6.1.2. Humanization Principle

Considering people’s use and feelings as the starting point of facility optimization,
rather than simply considering the functionality of the facility, integrating the people-
oriented concept into the optimized design will make the facilities more comfortable,
convenient, and warm. The humanized design will pay attention to whether details such
Sustainability 2023, 15, x FOR PEER REVIEW 18 of 22
as scale, location, and operation mode conform to the behavior habits of the residents, so as
to attract people to actively use the facilities in the public space, which will increase the
popularity and vitality of the space.
6.1.3. Suitability Principle
6.1.3. Suitability Principle
For different space types, a multilayer optimization strategy was considered (See Fig-
ure 5).For
Fordifferent
example,space types, a multilayer
for a relatively optimization
small space, the needs ofstrategy
residentswas
in theconsidered
surrounding (See
Figure 5). For example, for a relatively small space, the needs of residents in the
buildings for privacy and low noise should be considered during optimization, so sooth- surrounding
buildings
ing forand
activities privacy and lowpublic
appropriate noise communication
should be considered during
methods optimization,
should be set up tosopromote
soothing
activities and appropriate public
the vitality of the small space. communication methods should be set up to promote the
vitality of the small space.
Multi-leveloptimization.
Figure5.5.Multi-level
Figure optimization.
6.1.4. Principle of Inclusiveness

6.1.4. Principle of Inclusiveness
All people in the community are treated equally, and their rights and needs are fully
All people in the community are treated equally, and their rights and needs are fully
considered. Whether it is an elderly resident or a young tenant, an enterprise owner,
considered. Whether it is an elderly resident or a young tenant, an enterprise owner, or a
or a migrant worker, the public space should fully consider accommodating different
migrant worker, the public space should fully consider accommodating different individ-
individuals and providing shelter for different people. The objective is to let people share
uals and providing shelter for different people. The objective is to let people share and use
and use public space together, create strong links between people due to space catalysts,
public space together, create strong links between people due to space catalysts, and build
and build a sense of identity belonging to the community.
a sense of identity belonging to the community.
6.2. Suggestions on Optimization Design of Community Public Space
6.2. Suggestions
6.2.1. on Optimization
Point Space OptimizationDesign
Designof Community Public Space
6.2.1. Point
Point Space
space Optimization Design independent area between individual residential
refers to the relatively
Point space
buildings refers buildings
or between to the relatively independent
and structures area
(walls, between
fences, etc.).individual residential
It is the public space
that residents
buildings first contact
or between from the
buildings andinside of the (walls,
structures building to the etc.).
fences, externalIt isenvironment of the
the public space
building.
that Thefirst
residents users of thisfrom
contact publicthespace
insideareofmainly residents
the building of the
to the buildings
external surrounding
environment of
thebuilding.
the point space. It mainly
The users includes
of this the space
public space in frontresidents
are mainly of the house,
of thethe space enclosed
buildings surround- by
thethe
ing building, and the
point space. boundary.
It mainly It canthe
includes change
spacethein atmosphere
front of the of the space,
house, create
the space a space
enclosed
forthe
by residents to communicate,
building, and the boundary. promote the public
It can changecommunication
the atmosphereofof residents,
the space, increase
createthe
a
cohesion between neighbors, and realize the sense of belonging and
space for residents to communicate, promote the public communication of residents, in- happiness of residents
by improving
crease the artistry
the cohesion betweenand diversityand
neighbors, of public
realize space design,
the sense includingand
of belonging increasing
happiness the
ofcomplexity of venue
residents by facilities
improving the and the complexity
artistry and diversity of venue sports
of public functions,
space design, improving
including in- the
diversitythe
creasing of complexity
individual of spaces
venuebyfacilities
changing andthethe
diversity of colors
complexity of venueand sports
components, and
functions,
improvingthe
improving thediversity
comfortof ofindividual
social management (optimizing
spaces by changing the the location
diversity of garbage
of colors sites,
and com-
motor vehicle parking areas, etc.).
ponents, and improving the comfort of social management (optimizing the location of
garbage sites, motor vehicle parking areas, etc.).
6.2.2. Linear Space Optimization Design

Linear space mainly refers to the continuous and relatively open space formed by the
building horizontally or vertically and is the public transport space in the community and
6.2.2. Linear Space Optimization Design

Linear space mainly refers to the continuous and relatively open space formed by the
building horizontally or vertically and is the public transport space in the community and
the “public street” in the community. Its function is to connect different public spaces in
the community, and it presents a network layout. This can be optimized by optimizing the
comfort of motorways, sidewalks, and rest seats.
6.2.3. Surface Space Optimization Design

Facial space mainly refers to a space that covers a large area and is usually located in
the center of the overall planning and layout of the community. The surrounding space
is usually surrounded by residential, commercial, and public service-supporting houses
in the community, which not only meet the daily lives of residents but also play a role in
connecting people of different ages in the community. In this public space, spontaneous
and social activities of residents account for the largest proportion. The opportunities and
frequency of contact of all residents in the community have greatly increased, and the sense
of belonging and cohesion of residents has been enhanced through different activities and
community organizations. The space optimization design includes improving the richness
of sports facilities and the diversity of site functions and adjusting the permeability of
landscape facilities.
7. Conclusions
As carriers of social activities, public spaces are closely related to community residents’
daily lives. Scientifically and effectively enhancing the vitality of the existing public space
and promoting social interaction are important issues in the public space design of the old
community. Based on the survey data of 30 communities in Shanghai City, the optimization
design strategy of community public space from the perspective of social capital is mainly
discussed through a linear model. The main findings are as follows.
First, three elements of space were analyzed by linear regression, and the key factors
affecting the three elements of public space were extracted, that is, diversity will have a
significant positive impact on the spatial elements, the comfort of activity facilities and the
richness of service facilities will have a significant positive impact on facility elements, and
the level of public security and sanitation will have a significant positive impact on social
factors. The other sub-items had little or no impact on each element.
Secondly, the correlation between the six dimensions of social capital and the elements
of public space is analyzed and studied, specifically as follows: the degree of cohesion and
the level of public security have a significant positive impact on social cohesion; the degree
of enclosure and the richness of service facilities have a significant positive impact on the
sense of community belonging; the comfort of activity facilities, the level of public security
and the level of sanitation have a significant positive impact on the sense of community
belonging; the degree of enclosure, the comfort of activity facilities, and the abundance of
service facilities have a significant positive impact on the social connection of residents; the
comfort of activity facilities, the richness of service facilities, and the level of public security
have a significant positive impact on the social interaction of residents; the degree of
enclosure, the richness of service facilities, and the level of public security have a significant
positive impact on the neighborhood relationship of the community.
Third, the principles of diversification, humanization, suitability, and inclusiveness
of the optimal design of community public space are put forward, and specific methods
and means are given for the design optimization of three types of community public space:
point, line, and surface types.
The shortcomings of this study can be summarized as follows: 1. Currently, there
is no unified definition of the connotation of community social capital in the academic
community; therefore, the concept of urban community social capital defined in this study
lacks certain authority and comprehensiveness. 2. The evaluation indicators of community
social capital involve a wide range of contents, making it difficult to design a comprehensive,
reasonable, and scientific indicator system in theory. Moreover, there are some limitations
that must be overcome in empirical screening and optimization indicators. 3. The specific
environment of each community is different, and the proposed countermeasures and
suggestions are limited by their pertinence and operability.
Future research on community social capital should focus more on the characteristics
of different types of communities, classify and discuss community social capital, and
establish indicators of community social capital composition with certain universality and
dynamic variability. Large-sample repeated questionnaire tests were conducted to verify
the rationality of these indicators.
Author Contributions: Writing—original draft, S.G.; Supervision, J.W. All authors have read and
agreed to the published version of the manuscript.
Funding: The Project Supported by Natural Science Basic Research Plan in Shannxi Province of
China. Program No. 2023-JC-YB-332.
Institutional Review Board Statement: Not applicable.
Informed Consent Statement: Informed consent was obtained from all the participants.
Data Availability Statement: Not applicable.
Acknowledgments: The authors would like to thank the editors and reviewers for their valuable
comments and suggestions, which enabled us to improve the quality of the paper.
Conflicts of Interest: The authors declare no conflict of interest.
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College of Transportation Engineering, Chang’an University, Xi’an 710064, China; wjjun16@chd.edu.cn

Academic Editor: Nikos

Sustainability 2023, 15, 9767. https://doi.org/10.3390/su15129767 https://www.mdpi.com/journal/sustainability

2. Measurement of Community Social Capital and Environmental Perception

2.1.2. Research on the Patterns of Social Capital Formation

2.1.3. Research on the Measurement of Social Capital

2.2. Research on Public Space

2.2.2. Research Targeting Specific Regions and Specific Facilities

2.2.3. Research on Spatial Environment Perception

2.2.4. Research on the Quality of Life of Residents

3. Measurement of Community Social Capital and Environmental Perception

3.2. Measurement of Spatial Environment Perception of Public Buildings

enclosure, and accessibility); facility elements (the abundance of commercial facilities,

Table 1. Six dimensions of residents’ social capital in their communities.

Dimensions Indicator (23 Questions)

4. Data Sources and Research Methods

Figure 1. Schematic diagram of the study area.

Figure 2. Basic situation of the study area.

4.1. Study Area and Data

4.2. Research Methods

Table 3. Variable assignments.

Element Types Valuation Indicators Assignment Methods

Table 4. Variable weighting.

Element Types Valuation Indicators Weight Value

5.1. Regression Analysis of Three Elements of Public Space

Table 5. Results of Linear Regression Analysis of Factors.

5.1.1. Spatial Elements

5.1.2. Facility Elements

5.1.3. Social Factors

5.2. Regression Analysis of Social Capital

5.2.2. Community A achment

5.2.2. Community Attachment

5.2.3. Social Participation

5.2.4. Social Network

5.2.5. Social Interaction

5.2.6. Neighborhood Relationship

5.2.7. Further Discussion

6. Suggestions on the Optimization Design of Community Public Space from the

6.1.2. Humanization Principle

6.1.2. Humanization Principle

6.1.4. Principle of Inclusiveness

6.2.2. Linear Space Optimization Design

6.2.2. Linear Space Optimization Design

6.2.3. Surface Space Optimization Design

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