Social Capital, The Currency of Community - with Mario Small

05/04/21 • 40 min

Dr. Mario Luis Small grew up in Panama City, the son of an architect in a tight knit community of other families. He learned first-hand the way that spaces and social connections shape well-being and community.

In this episode of Shared Space, I talk with Mario, Grafstein Family Professor in the Department of Sociology at Harvard University, about how his early experiences shaped his future work and his discovery around the importance of social capital, trust and social ties in strengthening communities across the globe, and specifically the nature of architecture and urban design to shape connection.

Dr. Small has published award-winning articles, edited volumes, and books on topics such as social relationships, urban poverty, and the relationship between qualitative and quantitative methods. He has amazing books, from Villa Victoria to Unanticipated Gains, to his latest book, Someone To Talk To: How Networks Matter in Practice.

In this episode, we discuss...

Introduction [0:30]
A Place of Connection for Him Growing Up [02:56]
What are Social Capital and Social Ties, and Why They are Important [05:47]
Bridging versus Bonding Ties [07:57]
How Social Ties Impact Our Health and Overall Well-being [09:25]
Self-Care versus Caring for Others [14:43]
How Nature of our Social Connections Changed During the Pandemic [18:08]
Do Fewer Connections Mean Deeper Connections? [24:27]
Places where He Feels the Environment Has Impacted the Connections of Communities [26:45]
Networking of Mothers at Childcare Centers [31:20]
How Things are Different for Communities of Lower Socioeconomic Status [32:54]
What He Wishes Designers Would Consider When Designing for Social Connection [35:48]
Closing Remarks [38:33]

Where to Find Dr. Mario Luis Small

Twitter: @MarioLuisSmall

Website: http://www.marioluissmall.com/

Resources Mentioned

Loneliness: Human Nature and the Need for Social Connection by John T. Cacioppo and William Patrick

About the Host

Erin is an architect and design researcher bridging the gap between research and practice with a focus on design for health. She believes in the power of places to heal, connect, and serve vulnerable people — from hospital patients and staff, to people struggling with social isolation and mental health challenges. Erin is driven by a commitment to help others and the joy of working together to solve complex problems with shared purpose.

Twitter: @erin_peavey; LinkedIn: Erin K. Peavey; Instagram: @design.for.health

In this episode, we discuss...

Introduction [0:30]
A Place of Connection for Him Growing Up [02:56]
What are Social Capital and Social Ties, and Why They are Important [05:47]
Bridging versus Bonding Ties [07:57]
How Social Ties Impact Our Health and Overall Well-being [09:25]
Self-Care versus Caring for Others [14:43]
How Nature of our Social Connections Changed During the Pandemic [18:08]
Do Fewer Connections Mean Deeper Connections? [24:27]
Places where He Feels the Environment Has Impacted the Connections of Communities [26:45]
Networking of Mothers at Childcare Centers [31:20]
How Things are Different for Communities of Lower Socioeconomic Status [32:54]
What He Wishes Designers Would Consider When Designing for Social Connection [35:48]
Closing Remarks [38:33]

Where to Find Dr. Mario Luis Small

Twitter: @MarioLuisSmall

Website: http://www.marioluissmall.com/

Resources Mentioned

Loneliness: Human Nature and the Need for Social Connection by John T. Cacioppo and William Patrick

About the Host

Twitter: @erin_peavey; LinkedIn: Erin K. Peavey; Instagram: @design.for.health

Previous Episode

Building a Better Block with Andrew Howard

How can a one-day event spark lasting change? How can community design be open sourced? What should we be measuring if we want to gauge positive change?

I talk with transportation and placemaking expert, Andrew Howard about his experiences doing just this with Team Better Block. Andrew is the director of placemaking at WGI, a national design and professional services firm leading in technology-based solutions for the construction of public infrastructure and real estate development. Andrew co-founded Better Block in 2010 as a transportation and placemaking focused public outreach firm that temporarily re-engineers auto-dominated, blighted, and underused urban areas into vibrant centers.

In this episode, Andrew and I discuss:

How his abuelita first kindled his passion for the lives of city centers.

His journey from Mineral Wells, Texas to being a Harvard Loeb Fellow.

How he and Jason Roberts first founded Better Block in 2010, and the problem they wanted to solve.

Why we need to get out in the community more, and spend more time making and less time behind computers.

What we should be measuring if we want to impact positive change (hint, it is not the number of cars)

Andrew’s hopes for the future of food and beverage as intrinsically linked to city and community planning.

Alongside his neighbors he and Jason Roberts built the first two Better Blocks in Dallas, Texas and pioneered the idea of using pop up demonstrations as an urban planning method. Now having been used in over 200 communities from Sydney, Australia to Bethel, Vermont Better Block is seen as an alternative to the typical design and defend urban planning method of the past. They have some amazing resources on their website so make sure to check out Team Better Block.

Next Episode

Fighting Workplace Loneliness By Design - with Nigel Oseland

How do our workplaces and practices impact loneliness? How can you design for connection of all kinds? In 2019, 61% of U.S. working adults reported experiencing loneliness, which is tied to decreased productivity, work satisfaction and turn over. Yet, we rarely ask the question of how to design for connection in our workplaces as a priority. In this episode, I speak with Dr. Nigel Oseland who shares design strategies for fostering four types of connections in the work environment!

Dr. Oseland is an environmental psychologist, workplace strategist, change manager, researcher, author, and international speaker. He works with his clients to redefine their work styles, and create cost-effective, space efficient workplaces that enhance concentration, collaboration, and creativity. I was first introduced to his work through the Centre of Conscious Design. His lessons about loneliness and the workplace are exciting and important. We hope you enjoy this episode!

In this episode, we discuss...

Introduction [0:30]
A Place of Connection for Him When He was Growing Up [01:11]
How He Got into This Field [03:21]
Is Loneliness a Personal Issue that's Completely Separate from Work? [08:08]
The Generation Age Divide Around Loneliness [12:42]
What the Research Says About Employee Loneliness and Sense of Connection [14:18]
How to Design Differently for the Four Types of Relationships that Workplaces Foster [16:56]
What Small Offices can Tweak to Encourage Different Types of Relationships in Workspace [25:20]
Other Considerations Outside Built Space to Foster Workplace Relationships [29:33]
The Difference Between Loneliness and Social Isolation [30:00]
His Tips for Building Open Office Spaces, that Also Support Privacy [32:19]
His Upcoming Book and What it is About [34:38]
One Thing He Wishes People Knew and Used When Designing for Social Connection [38:40]