Exploring the built environmental dynamics of sociability in a planned residential area in Khulna, Bangladesh

Abstract

Social spaces serve as critical catalysts for fostering neighborhood sociability, facilitating interpersonal interactions and nurturing a sense of community. By acting as loci of social engagement, they significantly contribute to the enhancement of the collective well-being of residents. This study investigates the built environment dynamics of social spaces in a planned residential area in Khulna city, focusing on the impact of spatial and physical design parameters on the pattern and extent of social interactions and community engagement. The research employs a three-stage mixed-methods approach. First, spatial morphology and the built environment are analyzed to assess their influence on sociability, with a particular focus on spatial morphology that encourage or hinder social interaction. Second, DepthmapX is utilized to evaluate isovist properties, specifically visual integration and connectivity, which measure how visibility and spatial relationships influence the usability of social spaces. Correlations between these properties and patterns of social space use are explored to understand how visibility impacts sociability. Lastly, a multivariate regression model integrates visual and built environmental attributes, including visibility, building density, functional mix, and per capita social space, to evaluate their collective effects on sociability. The findings, triangulated across these stages, emphasize the critical role of spatial morphological and built environmental design in fostering social interactions. Visual integration and connectivity emerge as a key determinant of sociability, influencing the development of inclusive neighborhood design strategies that foster community cohesion and facilitate meaningful social interactions.