The Power of Place: A Study of the Seven Districts of Amsterdam

Abstract

In light of the COVID-19 pandemic and the subsequent challenges for social cohesion, researchers and policymakers have stressed the importance of social infrastructure in the neighbourhood. The city of Amsterdam was used as a case study to examine whether residents’ satisfaction with social infrastructure is associated with neighbourhood social cohesion. Additionally, this study tested whether the strength of this relationship varied between privileged and deprived districts in Amsterdam.

The two-by-two framework and five dimensions of social cohesion were used to conceptualise neighbourhood social cohesion. Place attachment theory and social disorganisation theory were discussed to shed light on possible mechanisms between the satisfaction with social infrastructure and neighbourhood social cohesion.

Data was extracted from the Basisbestand Gebieden Amsterdam (BBGA) (N = 18,296). Factor analysis distinguished two key dimensions of social spaces – socio-economic and recreational spaces – which were treated as separate independent variables to measure neighbourhood social cohesion (N = 884). District SES was added as a moderation variable.

Findings suggest that social infrastructure plays a significant role in promoting social cohesion, and that the type of social infrastructure that is most effective may vary depending on the socio-economic context of a district. These findings carry important implications for future research and policymakers as they could be used to design more inclusive and accessible social infrastructure to promote neighbourhood social cohesion. This study recommends policymakers to enhance bonding and bridging capital of residents in Amsterdam, which can be achieved through the novel policy instrument ‘participatory budgeting’.