Is City Love a Success Factor for Neighbourhood Resilience? Results from a Microcosmic Analysis of Rotterdam

Abstract

This study examines and tests the concept of ‘city love’ in the context of social resilience for urban neighbourhoods. It introduces the notion of ‘city body’ and ‘city soul’ so as to create an operational framework for measuring the citizens’ appreciation and attachment for the local neighbourhood. Particular attention is given to the social bonds in urban community networks and language groups. A quantitative statistical analysis is carried out to test the relationships and determinants of city (or neighbourhood) love, based on extensive statistical, survey and social media data on the city of Rotterdam.