Outdoor open spaces as a catalyst for a sense of community: referring to urban middle-income mass housing in Colombo, Sri Lanka

Abstract

Researchers have discovered the "Sense Of Community" (SOC) possesses certain curative qualities that can be applied to alleviate a variety of contemporary societal issues. Simultaneously during recent years, residential real estate developers around the world have seized upon the mystical qualities of "community" with a passion that has baffled them. Given the intangible nature of communities, it is questionable whether the urban mass housing projects are capable of successfully utilizing Outdoor Open Spaces (OOS) as a catalyst for SOC. However, the role of socio-spatial characteristics of OOS in such projects, especially in the middleincome category, has not been emphasized in the current literature on SOC. Against this backdrop, this study explores and evaluates the connection between SOC and the physical features of OOS in Urban Middle-income Mass Housing (UMMH). This study delves into the subject via three case studies set in the city of Colombo, Sri Lanka; through a mixed research methodology. The evaluation is based on a four-factor theoretical framework on socio-spatial dimensions of SOC adapted from the work of Kim & Kaplan (2004). Each case study was further examined through four interactive categories of OOS. The utilisation of OOS was analysed by referring to place theory, place attachment, place identity and sense of place. The outcomes depict how people's shared idealisation of the term "community" gives the concept of "sense of community" a concrete form by utilising the available OOS by creating meaningful functions and identities. These outcomes enable professionals to make community-centric decisions and designs that benefit the communities they serve.