Civic fabric plays a critical role in the social empowerment and health of our communities. Urban planning considers social capital during the analysis and decision-making stages of public space design, public health initiatives, community development strategies, climate resiliency planning, and addressing inequality. While social capital is hosted by formal community assets, it is also facilitated by informal interpersonal and community relations.

This study clarifies how the distribution of social capital varies when comparing variables established by planning theory and community perceptions of where strong interpersonal connections are held across the most economically distressed neighborhoods in Manhattan, New York.