The Production and Inequality of Connectedness in Social Infrastructure

• In Event: Spatial Mechanisms in Social Life

Abstract

How do public institutions shape social connectedness within contemporary urban communities? Although prior scholarship argues that parks, libraries, and community centers can foster belonging and integration, few studies use individual-level data to systematically evaluate how these spaces generate social ties across sites and communities.

We develop a three-dimensional framework that conceptualizes connectedness in public social infrastructure through the intersection of time, space, and activity. Guided by this framework, we designed an original in-person survey instrument capturing four dimensions of connectedness within urban public spaces. First, we measure patrons’ attachment to the physical site and to the broader city or community. Second, we examine the activities conducted in these spaces, including shared and joint activities that create opportunities for interaction. Third, we assess how patrons use these sites to spend time with family and friends, deepening existing relationships. Fourth, we evaluate the formation of new social ties with other patrons, including interactions that may bridge social boundaries.

We collected more than 1,100 in-person surveys across multiple social infrastructure sites in three communities in New York State using a time–space sampling strategy. Preliminary findings show that public social infrastructure plays a significant role in fostering belonging and reducing isolation: more than 60 percent of respondents report feeling a sense of belonging and expecting prosocial behavior while at these sites. At the same time, access to connectedness is uneven. Travel time to sites varies significantly across communities, suggesting that spatial inequality in the distribution and accessibility of social infrastructure may reinforce broader patterns of urban inequality and social disconnection.

By introducing a scalable measurement strategy for assessing connectedness within public institutions, this study advances research on urban community life, spatial inequality, and the role of social infrastructure in shaping patterns of integration and exclusion.

Authors

• Nan Feng, New York University

• Eric Klinenberg, New York University