ABSTRACT
In recent years, increasing attention has been paid to the question of whether the absence of social networks, or what is known as “social capital”, is affecting the quality of life in cities. Indeed, a great paradox of big cities is that proximity and high densities do not necessarily provide for strong social ties and networks. It is the very freedom, privacy and anonymity offered by city life, in fact, that weaken “social capital” – the networks of civic engagement that facilitate cooperation and mutual benefit in society.
