More than 40% of residents in Malta believe their neighbourhood has worsened in recent years, although s similar number say their neighbourhood has stayed the same. Fewer than one in 10 say it has improved, according to a Housing Authority survey.
The most cited problem by the respondents to the survey is that of not having parking, which was reported by more than seven in ten. This is followed by concerns about having to put up with construction (47%), noise (43%), limited access to open space (39%), and lack of pedestrian infrastructure (32%).
A substantial number of respondents also complain of a lack of access to public transport (27%), dirt and lack of maintenance (25%), and the lack of access to amenities (22%). Reassuringly, only 14% complain about the lack of safety and security in terms of crime.
On reading about this in the media, I started wondering whether the neighbourhood is still important in today's increasingly individualistic and globalised society. Or has the residential neighbourhood lost its significance as a source of social capital?
Well, there is no doubt that social relationships have considerably expanded the boundaries of the neighbourhood, making them more regional, international, and virtual in scope. Increased mobility, changing working patterns, and pluralistic lifestyles have gradually dissipated traditional neighbourhood interactions.
As Tali Hatuka of Tel Aviv University has said, "the growing role of technological processes in our lives, and their role in expanding the geographical boundaries of our daily activities, has dramatically changed our daily conduct. We shop, socially engage, and manage using digital platforms. At the same time, we also constantly engage in marking the boundaries between what we view as our daily community and the rest."
Each of us lives in this local-global environment; the concrete and bounded local, and the abstract and boundless global. Most of us enjoy this duality of bounded locality and boundless globalism without thinking about this contradiction much.
I have known four different neighbourhoods in my lifetime and can assert without hesitation that each transition has resulted in a decreasing number of neighbours with whom I have had frequent contact. I can assuredly say that other people in these different neighbourhoods have also experienced declining social cohesion at each one of them.
There is no question that local social interaction and the familiar landmarks of the neighbourhood may offer sources of comfort and security to residents. The environment ̶ including cities, buildings, populations, and infrastructure ̶ significantly impacts human performance and well-being, including people's mental health.
A quick scan of social media comments immediately highlights the kind of issues that people in Malta are concerned about. They range from environment factors such as air quality, through noise, insecurity, and garbage presence to sidewalk quality. Perceptions of these factors vary according to residents' social strata, networks, age, and gender. As far as mental health variables are concerned, the impact of a degraded environment on residents includes symptoms related to depression, anxiety, stress, and difficulties in relaxing.
For this purpose, I reviewed comments made by people relating to a number of articles in the main daily newspapers. It wasn't a scientific survey by any stretch of the imagination, but it was clear that the issues I have just mentioned are occupying people's minds. Dismissing them as "typical Maltese grumbling" is not just unhelpful, but outright counterproductive.
The issues are not particular to Malta. They exist elsewhere. For example, in a big study in Bogota, physical factors such as sidewalk quality and noise, emerged as the most impactful, with more than a quarter of residents identifying these as significant concerns, followed by insecurity and garbage presence identified by one in every five residents.
Nearly half of the respondents felt that their neighbourhood impacted their quality of life and mental health, closely related to physical and social conditions. Interestingly, under a third expressed a willingness to relocate due to its effects perception. A significant portion (41.9%) of respondents valued having a solid support network nearby, highlighting the importance of social cohesion.
It is well-known from studies conducted abroad that neighbourhood social contacts and social cohesion can vary from one neighbourhood to another, not just between different villages and cities but also in individual districts of a city. Different neighbourhoods may have a range of social classes ranging from middle-low to upper-middle, different income levels, and diverse educational backgrounds ̶ all of which influence the kind of neighbourhood that emerges and, in turn, are influenced by it.
It is a fact that that poor neighbourhoods whose residents have incomes below the poverty threshold also tend to have higher rates of crime and disorder than others. Studies dating back as far as the 17th century have shown that people living in distressed neighbourhoods fare worse on educational, economic, and health outcomes than those living in less-distressed areas. The conditions in them might themselves adversely affect people's lives and "doubly-disadvantage" their low-income residents.
Other cross-country studies have confirmed the link between neighbourhoods and people's lives by revealing sizeable positive effects in moving from a more-distressed to a less-distressed neighbourhood on subjective well-being, as measured by people's perceptions of the extent to which their lives have been affected.
One interesting study on the importance of neighbourhoods on wellbeing was conducted in Rotterdam by the Erasmus Happiness Economics Research Organisation (EHERO). Over 10,000 residents were interviewed about how frequently people talk with their neighbours, and their social cohesion was measured by the perceived feelings of general trust in people in the neighbourhood, and whether people can get along with each other.
Marloes Hoogerbrugge, the lead researcher, found that both social contacts and social cohesion are positively and significantly associated with residents' life satisfaction on average. In other words, neighbourhoods are important to people's sense of satisfaction with their lives.
She also found that the association between valuing the neighbourhood and life satisfaction is much stronger for residents who spend most of their time there and those who may be vulnerable, lonely or isolated. For example, those who are living on welfare support and elderly or retired people tend to highly value the neighbourhood because they are likely to spend more time there.
Moreover, the study revealed that the neighbourhood is very important to people who are divorced or widowed. A possible explanation might be that they depend more on local social contacts. Finally, the neighbourhood matters more to people with a poor health, as it is likely that they are especially in need of social support and help from their neighbours.
The case of Rotterdam shows that the kind of neighbourhood one lives in is influenced by the extent of neighbourhood dependency and whether people are more or less forced to invest in local social contacts. It suggests that especially in neighbourhoods with a high percentage of vulnerable people, enhancing neighbourhood-based social capital can have a positive influence on residents' life satisfaction.
The Bogota study found significant direct correlations between the physical environment and type of neighbourhood, and instances of depression and stress. At the same time, the perception of high noise levels was associated with anxiety, stress, and general symptoms.
Indirect correlations were observed between high noise levels, insecurity cases, poor neighbourhood cleanliness, and even air quality, and anxiety. The type of neighbourhood and residence were also indirectly linked to anxiety and general symptoms.
These and other findings underscore the intricate relationships between neighbourhood quality, social capital, and mental health outcomes. The neighbourhood type and location directly affect access to resources, safety, public spaces and tranquillity, with high-quality environments mitigating stress. At the same time, poorer conditions heighten the risks of depression and anxiety.
Social capital plays a protective role, as having a strong support network helps individuals manage emotional challenges. At the same time, its absence increases vulnerability to mental health issues such as depression and stress. Demographic factors like marital status and age also have a significant impact on mental health, with younger individuals and those lacking stable social ties being more prone to anxiety and emotional instability.
Hundreds of studies have underlined the significance of urban planning, particularly in addressing environmental and social factors that impact mental health. Urban planners should prioritise quieter zones and incorporate green buffer zones and soundproofing measures, particularly in residential areas, to minimise environmental stressors.
Social support networks are crucial for mental health, and the study highlights the importance of community-oriented designs that foster social interaction. Planners should incorporate communal spaces, public areas, recreational facilities, and mixed-use developments to promote social cohesion and strengthen community ties. The disparities between neighbourhoods reveal the need for equitable distribution of resources, public services, and facilities, addressing environmental and social inequalities.