Urban Farm DB
Research catalogue
Database research record2012·United States

Community gardens for social capital: a site suitability analysis in Akron, Ohio

Allison Oulton

Urban Farm DB summary

This study tested social capital as a measurable indicator for community garden planning in Akron, Ohio, by identifying vacant parcels in areas with fewer civic engagement hubs. Using an adapted methodology that introduced spatial components to social capital at the neighborhood scale, it identified sites with a greater need for social capital. A limitation was that the principal hubs of civic engagement identified were churches, suggesting further fieldwork is needed to identify site-specific social hubs.