Analyzing and evaluating the role of social capitals in sustainable development of neighborhoods (Case study: Ilam city)

As an interface between the city and citizens, urban neighborhoods have formerly played a major role in shaping and organizing urban activities over the time. They also were encouraging the feelings of belongings, identity, and social relations among their residents by providing the required daily services. However, such neighborhoods don’t play any important roles in various urban plans and programs nowadays. Meanwhile, the idea of sustainable development at neighborhood level is recently emerging among urban planner circles again. Returning to the urban neighborhood solution is considered as a viewpoint that addresses the current problems of cities and urban life. It seeks possible ways to solve the problems using the powerful internal forces and existing social capitals. The aim of the present study is to investigate the role of social capital and its components in neighborhood sustainable development of Illam city. The applied method is analytical-descriptive. Documentary methods are used to complete the theoretical and literature reviews of the study. Field methods and questionnaires are used to accomplish the other parts of the research. The sample includes all the residents of 14 districts of Illam city among them, 383 persons were selected by Cochran formula to complete the questionnaires based on a Cluster sampling. The validity of questionnaire was confirmed by a formal way and its reliability was confirmed by Cronbach’s alpha (0.871). To analyze the data, descriptive statistics (frequency, mean and standard deviation) as well as inferential statistics (correlation and multiple regressions) were carried out. The findings revealed that variables of normalization, civil participation and social solidarity have a positive and meaningful effect. But the variables of linking to social networking and social security have a reverse effect and the variable of social trust has no effects on neighborhood sustainable development in Illam city.