Physical-social capital: Towards a critical design praxis for communities of place (Texas)

Communities of place are in need of a design praxis that can help them deal with the rapid changes they are facing, particularly rural communities that constitute the foci of urban-rural migration. As such, architects should face the challenge of transcending disciplinary boundaries in order to provide responsible, responsive and inclusive design, in a socially engaged architectural praxis. Bourdieu's concept of social capital emerges as an important asset to inform design praxis, but still needs refinement to explicate its connection to the physical realm. The objective of this study is to enhance Bourdieu's theory by developing a framework to inform an understanding of the process by which social capital is objectified in the built environment. The framework is developed in a two-step process. First, from an assessment of Bourdieu's theory, an exploratory framework is developed. As part of this framework, it is proposed that the concept of physical-social capital be added to Bourdieu's objectified forms of social capital, to account for the physical attributes that support or hinder social interaction and thus affect social capital. This framework is refined through fieldwork conducted in Port Aransas, a small costal town in Texas. It provides an account of four ways by which the built environment objectifies social capital: it symbolically and physically constrains social interaction and engenders shared identity and predictability. Finally, the relevance of this framework to design praxis is discussed. The physical social capital framework is considered especially useful for design professionals, equipping them with critical tools to create environments responsive to society's contemporary needs while building inclusive communities of place.