Influence of the built environment on social capital and physical activity in Singapore: A structural equation modelling analysis

Social well-being and public health have been prominent issues in developing a liveable city, especially in the unique urban context of densely populated Singapore, posing challenges for careful and efficient urban planning. As a result, it is essential to understand the association between the built environment and the social outcomes of local communities. We applied quantitative methods to assess people’s perception on diverse physical features of the built environment, including availability of amenities, public spaces, and transportation options, to understand their complex interplay and collective impact on social outcomes. Data were collected from official open sources and through questionnaire surveys from three selected neighbourhoods in Singapore. Structural equation models were developed to study the interactions between various aspects of the built environment and social outcomes that include social capital and physical activity of the residents. The results show that the influence of objective measures of the built environment is not significant, but the perceived built environment aspects of inclusivity and quality have direct positive influence on social capital. Perceived built environment aspects were also found to have an indirect influence on physical activity variables of frequency and mode, with social capital being the mediator.