Strength of weak ties in low income neighbourhoods of Medellín, Colombia

Abstract

The article links the quality of available public spaces and physical space composition with social capital. Colombian city – Medellín is chosen as this particular city has gone through a tremendous transformation and is rich with different kinds of an urban environment, including traditional low-income neighbourhoods as well as social housing in the form of blocks of flats. The study discusses types of social capital that appear in neighbourhoods and points at the special importance of weak ties for the sense of security, comfort, and quality of life. The results also show that space composition can impact construction of social capital.