Communities are vital for providing people with a sense of identity and shared purpose. Given the significant influence of neighbourhood environments on people's sense of community, this relationship needs more study. Although research suggests that the physical environment can affect neighbourhood community, the specific mechanisms and variables involved are not well understood. This study explored how the neighbourhood environment shapes the sense of community among residents in Malaysia after the COVID-19 pandemic. From June to October 2024, twelve professionals, including urban planners, architects, housing developers, landscape architects, local authorities, and policymakers, were interviewed. Thematic analysis identified five key themes: defining sense of community, the role of physical design, community engagement, challenges and successes, and future visions for community-oriented planning. The findings suggest that physical design elements like community spaces, street connectivity, and amenities are critical in shaping residents' sense of community. Participants highlighted the importance of integrating resident feedback in the planning and design process to ensure the environment meets community needs. The study also identified challenges in promoting community, including budget issues, competing priorities, and resistance to change. Overall, this study offers insights into how the neighbourhood environment can be leveraged to build a stronger sense of community, which is particularly important after the pandemic, where social connection and community resilience are vital for public health and well-being.
Affandi, T. M. I., Said, I., Rasidi, H., & Za’bar, Z. (2019). Place-Making a Child-Friendly Urban Environment Through Artworks. IOP Conference Series: Earth and Environmental Science, 385(1). https://doi.org/10.1088/1755-1315/385/1/012064
Agboola, O. P., Rasidi, M. H., & Said, I. (2017). Adolescents’ Sense of Community and Involvement in Playground Activities: Panacea to Ameliorate Social Vices and Delinquencies. International Journal of Built Environment and Sustainability, 4(2), 81–92. https://doi.org/10.11113/ijbes.v4.n2.179
Akcali, S., & Cahantimur, A. (2022). The Pentagon Model of Urban Social Sustainability: An Assessment of Sociospatial Aspects, Comparing Two Neighborhoods. Sustainability (Switzerland), 14(9). https://doi.org/10.3390/su14094990
Alias, A., Ali, A. S., & Wai, C. K. (2011). New urbanism and township developments in Malaysia. Urban Design International, 16(2), 76–93. https://doi.org/10.1057/udi.2010.24
Arundel, R., & Ronald, R. (2017). The role of urban form in sustainability of community: The case of Amsterdam. Environment and Planning B: Urban Analytics and City Science, 44(1), 33–53. https://doi.org/10.1177/0265813515608640
Ashraf, P., Ayad, H. M., & Saadallah, D. M. (2021). INVESTIGATION of the SENSE of COMMUNITY LEVELS: VARIABLES, DIMENSIONS and SPATIAL ANALYSIS APPROACH. WIT Transactions on Ecology and the Environment, 253, 359–370. https://doi.org/10.2495/SC210301
Ashraf, P., Ayad, H., & Saadallah, D. (2017). Sense of Community and Built Environment: How Can Built Environment, Social Economic Conditions and History of Place Shape Our Sense of Community? International Journal of Engineering and Advanced Technology (IJEAT), 3, 2249–8958.
Ashraf, P., Ayad, H., Saadallah, D., Serry, I., & Interaction, S. (2017). Sense of community and Built environment: How can built environment, social economic conditions and history of place shape our sense of community? 3, 1–18.
Azli, M., Abdullah, J., Abdullah, Y. A., Mohd, M. F., Taib, I., Shukri, S. M., & Abdullah, A. (2024). A THEMATIC REVIEW OF NEIGHBOURHOOD BUILT ENVIRONMENT FACTORS THAT AFFECT THE SENSE OF. CITI Science, 04, 58–84. https://doi.org/https://doi.org/10.60167/csj/v4i1.2024.06
Bakhtyar, B., Zaharim, A., Sopian, K., & Moghimi, S. (2013). Housing for poor people: A review on low cost housing process in Malaysia. WSEAS Transactions on Environment and Development, 9(2), 126–136.
Braun, V., & Clarke, V. (2021). To saturate or not to saturate? Questioning data saturation as a useful concept for thematic analysis and sample-size rationales. Qualitative Research in Sport, Exercise and Health, 13(2), 201–216. https://doi.org/10.1080/2159676X.2019.1704846
Can, I. (2016). THE CHANGING NATURE OF THE NEIGHBORHOOD AND NEIGHBORLINESS?: URBAN SPACES OF INTERACTION AND SENSE OF COMMUNITY , A CASE STUDY OF IZMIR , TURKEY Author ( s ): Isin Can Source?: Journal of Architectural and Planning Research , Autumn , 2016 , Vol . 33 , No. Journal of Architectural and Planning Research, 33(3).
Chavis, D. M., & Wandersman, A. (1990). Sense of community in the urban environment: A catalyst for participation and community development. American Journal of Community Psychology, 18(1), 55–81. https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00922689
Chuweni, N. N., Saraf, M. H. M., Fauzi, N. S., & Kasim, A. C. (2022). Factors Determining the Purchase Decision of Green Residential Properties in Malaysia. Planning Malaysia, 20(2), 272–282. https://doi.org/10.21837/pm.v20i21.1111
Cope, M. R., Ward, C., Jackson, J. E., Muirbrook, K. A., & Andre, A. N. (2020). Taking another look at the sense of community index: Six confirmatory factor analyses. Journal of Community Psychology, 48(5), 1410–1423. https://doi.org/10.1002/jcop.22335
Darlaston-Jones, D. (2007). Psychological sense of community and its relevance to well-being and everyday life in Australia. The Australian Community Psychologist, Volume 19. https://citeseerx.ist.psu.edu/viewdoc/download?doi=10.1.1.129.5714&rep=rep1&type=pdf
Davies, W. K. D., & Townshend, I. J. (2015). New Urbanisms: From Neo-Traditional Neighbourhoods to New Regionalism. GeoJournal Library, 112, 17–61. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-017-9655-2_2
Du, Y., Jiang, H., Huang, Z., & Yang, H. (2023). Associations between neighborhood environment and sense of community belonging in urban China: Examining mediation effects of neighborly interactions and community satisfaction. Frontiers in Public Health, 10(3). https://doi.org/10.3389/fpubh.2022.1105473
Elsawahli, H., Ahmad, F., & Ali, A. S. (2017). A qualitative approach to understanding the neighborhood environmental influences on active aging. Journal of Design and Built Environment, 17(2), 16–26. https://doi.org/10.22452/jdbe.vol17no2.2
Farahani, L. M., Izadpanahi, P., & Tucker, R. (2022). The death and life of Australian suburbs: Relationships between social activity and the physical qualities of Australian suburban neighbourhood centres. City, Culture and Society, 28(November 2021), 100426. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ccs.2021.100426
Farahani, L. M., & Lozanovska, M. (2014). A framework for exploring the sense of community and social life in residential environments. Archnet-IJAR, 8(3), 223–237. https://doi.org/10.26687/archnet-ijar.v8i3.412
Forrest, R., & Kearns, A. (2001). Social cohesion, social capital and the neighbourhood. Urban Studies, 38(12), 2125–2143. https://doi.org/10.1080/00420980120087081
Francis, J., Wood, L. J., Knuiman, M., & Giles-Corti, B. (2012). Quality or quantity? Exploring the relationship between Public Open Space attributes and mental health in Perth, Western Australia. Social Science and Medicine, 74(10), 1570–1577. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.socscimed.2012.01.032
Freeman, L. (2001). The Effects of Sprawl on Neighborhood Social Ties: An Explanatory Analysis. Journal of the American Planning Association.
He, S. Y., Tao, S., Cheung, Y. H. Y., Puczkowskyj, N., & Lin, Z. (2021). Transit-oriented development, perceived neighbourhood gentrification and sense of community: A case study of Hong Kong. Case Studies on Transport Policy, 9(2), 555–566. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cstp.2021.02.010
Hedayati Marzbali, M., Abdullah, A., Maghsoodi Tilaki, M. J., & Safizadeh, M. (2021). Moving the 2030 agenda ahead: Exploring the role of multiple mediators toward perceived environment and social sustainability in residential neighbourhoods. Land, 10(10). https://doi.org/10.3390/land10101079
Hooper, P., Foster, S., Knuiman, M., & Giles-Corti, B. (2020). Testing the Impact of a Planning Policy Based on New Urbanist Planning Principles on Residents’ Sense of Community and Mental Health in Perth, Western Australia. In Environment and Behavior (Vol. 52, Issue 3). https://doi.org/10.1177/0013916518798882
Huertas-Delgado, F. J., Queralt, A., Chillón, P., & Molina-García, J. (2022). Associations between parental reasons for choosing a neighborhood and adolescents’ physical activity and commuting behaviors. Journal of Transport and Health, 24(February), 1–9. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jth.2021.101259
Ishak, S. A., Hussein, H., & Jamaludin, A. A. (2018). Neighbourhood parks as a potential stress reliever: Review on literature. Open House International, 43(4), 52–64. https://doi.org/10.1108/ohi-04-2018-b0007
Jamaludin, S. N., Mohamad, N. H. N., & Thani, S. K. S. O. (2014). Designing Conducive Residential Outdoor Environment for Community: Klang Valley, Malaysia. Procedia - Social and Behavioral Sciences, 153, 370–383. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.sbspro.2014.10.070
Kaczynski, A. T., & Sharratt, M. T. (2010). Deconstructing Williamsburg: Using focus groups to examine residents’ perceptions of the building of a walkable community. International Journal of Behavioral Nutrition and Physical Activity, 7. https://doi.org/10.1186/1479-5868-7-50
Khemri, M. Y., Melis, A., & Caputo, S. (2020). Sustaining the Liveliness of Public Spaces in El Houma through Placemaking. The Journal of Public Space, 5(Vol. 5 n. 1), 129–152. https://doi.org/10.32891/jps.v5i1.1254
Kim, J., & Kaplan, R. (2004). Physical and psychological factors in sense of community: New urbanist Kentlands and nearby orchard village. Environment and Behavior, 36(3), 313–340. https://doi.org/10.1177/0013916503260236
Kujawski, W. (2019). Can Buildings Save and Improve Municipal Infrastructure? IOP Conference Series: Earth and Environmental Science, 290(1). https://doi.org/10.1088/1755-1315/290/1/012123
Li, S., Zhao, P., Zhang, H., & Quan, J. (2019). Walking behavior in the old downtown Beijing: The impact of perceptions and attitudes and social variations. Transport Policy, 73(January 2018), 1–11. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tranpol.2018.10.005
Li, X., Li, Z., Jia, T., Yan, P., Wang, D., & Liu, G. (2021). The sense of community revisited in Hankow, China: Combining the impacts of perceptual factors and built environment attributes. Cities, 111(August 2019), 103108. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cities.2021.103108
Lim, S. B., Malek, J. A., Yussoff, F. Y., & Yigitcanlar, T. (2021). Understanding and Acceptance of Smart City Policies?: Practitioners ’ Perspectives on the Malaysian Smart City Framework.
Lusk, A. C., Willett, W. C., Morris, V., Byner, C., & Li, Y. (2019). Bicycle facilities safest from crime and crashes: Perceptions of residents familiar with higher crime/lower income neighborhoods in Boston. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 16(3). https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph16030484
Mariadas, P. A., Abdullah, H., & Abdullah, N. (2019). Factors Influencing the First Home Purchase Decision of Middle-Income Earners (M40) in Selangor, Malaysia. E-BANGI: Jurnal Sains Sosial Dan Kemanusiaan, 16(1), 1–11.
McCormack, G. R., Koohsari, M. J., Oka, K., Friedenreich, C. M., Blackstaffe, A., Alaniz, F. U., & Farkas, B. (2019). Differences in transportation and leisure physical activity by neighborhood design controlling for residential choice. Journal of Sport and Health Science, 8(6), 532–539. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jshs.2019.05.004
Mccormack, G. R., Petersen, J., Naish, C., Ghoneim, D., & Naish, C. (2023). Neighbourhood environment facilitators and barriers to outdoor activity during the first wave of the COVID-19 pandemic in Canada?: a qualitative study. Cities & Health, 7(4), 643–655. https://doi.org/10.1080/23748834.2021.2016218
Mendelson, T., Turner, A. K., & Tandon, S. D. (2010). Social Class As Moderator of the Relationship Between (Dis)Empowering Processes and Psychological Empowerment. Journal of Community Psychology, 38(5), 607–621. https://doi.org/10.1002/jcop
Mohamed Aris, N. A., Fathi, M. S., Harun, A. N., & Mohamed, Z. (2020). Spatial Pattern of Affordability and Overhang in Selangor. IOP Conference Series: Earth and Environmental Science, 540(1). https://doi.org/10.1088/1755-1315/540/1/012057
Mokhtar, N., & Md. Dali, M. (2017). A tale of two neighbourhoods: Some evidence of leadership, learning, and liveability. Journal of Design and Built Environment, 17, 107–123. https://doi.org/10.22452/jdbe.sp2017no1.10
Molana, H. H., & Adams, R. E. (2019). Evaluating sense of community in the residential environment from the perspectives of symbolic interactionism and architectural design. Journal of Community Psychology, 47(7), 1591–1602. https://doi.org/10.1002/jcop.22214
Nallathiga, R., Tewari, K., Saboo, A., & Varghese, S. (2021). From satellite townships to smart townships: Evolution of township development in pune, india. Theoretical and Empirical Researches in Urban Management, 16(1), 86–106.
Obst, P. L., & White, K. M. (2004). Revisiting the sense of community index: A confirmatory factor analysis. Journal of Community Psychology, 32(6), 691–705. https://doi.org/10.1002/jcop.20027
Osman, M. M., Syuid, S., Bachok, S., & Khalid, N. (2017). Factors influencing housing prices among local people: A study in Perak, Malaysia. Advanced Science Letters. https://doi.org/10.1166/asl.2017.7211
Park, Y. (2017). Does new urbanist neighborhood design affect neighborhood turnover? Land Use Policy, 68(July), 552–562. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.landusepol.2017.07.013
Pineo, H., Moore, G., & Braithwaite, I. (2022). Incorporating practitioner knowledge to test and improve a new conceptual framework for healthy urban design and planning. Cities and Health, 6(5), 906–921. https://doi.org/10.1080/23748834.2020.1773035
Pitchay Muthu Chelliah, P., Thurasamy, R., Alzahrani, A. I., Alfarraj, O., & Alalwan, N. (2016). E-Government service delivery by a local government agency: The case of E-Licensing. Telematics and Informatics, 33(4), 925–935. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tele.2016.02.003
Rahman, N. A. A., Zainordin, Z. M., & Zawawi, E. M. A. (2017). Social attributes and public participation towards smart city development. Politeknik & Kolej Komuniti Journal of Social Sciences and Humanities, 1(2007), 31–38.
Ross, A, Journal, M. S.-C. D., & 2021, undefined. (n.d.). Conceptualization and validation of the Neighbourhood Cohesion Index using exploratory structural equation modelling. Academic.Oup.Com. Retrieved November 7, 2021, from https://academic.oup.com/cdj/article-abstract/56/3/408/5811638
Ross, Allison, & Searle, M. (2019). A Conceptual Model of Leisure Time Physical Activity, Neighborhood Environment, and Sense of Community. Environment and Behavior, 51(6), 749–781. https://doi.org/10.1177/0013916517751582
Ross, Allison, Wood, L., & Searle, M. (2020). The indirect influence of child play on the association between parent perceptions of the neighborhood environment and sense of community. Health and Place, 65(December 2018), 102422. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.healthplace.2020.102422
Rugel, E. J., Carpiano, R. M., Henderson, S. B., & Brauer, M. (2019). Exposure to natural space, sense of community belonging, and adverse mental health outcomes across an urban region. Environmental Research, 171(January), 365–377. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.envres.2019.01.034
Saadallah, D. M. (2020). Utilizing participatory mapping and PPGIS to examine the activities of local communities. Alexandria Engineering Journal, 59(1), 263–274. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.aej.2019.12.038
Saelens, B. E., Sallis, J. F., Black, J. B., & Chen, D. (2003). Neighborhood-Based Differences in Physical Activity: An Environment Scale Evaluation. In American Journal of Public Health (Vol. 93, Issue 9). https://doi.org/10.2105/AJPH.93.9.1552
Samsudin, N. S., Khalil, N., Yuhaniz, M., Khair, S. M. A. S. A., & Zainonabidin, A. (2021). An overview of Prevention through Design (PtD): The architect’s role in the lifecycle of building safety performance. IOP Conference Series: Earth and Environmental Science, 881(1). https://doi.org/10.1088/1755-1315/881/1/012013
Sarason, S. (1974). The psychological sense of community: Prospects for a community psychology. https://psycnet.apa.org/record/1975-01813-000
Sun, P., Lu, W., Song, Y., & Gu, Z. (2019). Influences of built environment with hilly terrain on physical activity in Dalian, China: An analysis of mediation by perceptions and moderation by social environment. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 16(24), 1–17. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph16244900
Talen, E. (2002). The Social Goals of New Urbanism. Housing Policy Debate. https://doi.org/10.1080/10511482.2002.9521438
Talen, E., & Shah, S. (2007). Neighborhood evaluation using GIS: An exploratory study. Environment and Behavior, 39(5), 583–615. https://doi.org/10.1177/0013916506292332
Vaandrager, L., & Kennedy, L. (2016). The application of salutogenesis in communities and neighborhoods. The Handbook of Salutogenesis, 159–170. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-04600-6_17
Wang, D., He, S., Webster, C., & Zhang, X. (2019). Unravelling residential satisfaction and relocation intention in three urban neighborhood types in Guangzhou, China. Habitat International, 85(February 2018), 53–62. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.habitatint.2019.01.004
Wang, W., Gao, Y., Pitts, A., & Dong, L. (2023). A Bibliometric Analysis of Neighborhood Sense of Community. Sustainability (Switzerland), 15(5). https://doi.org/10.3390/su15054183
Wenander, H. (2024). Whose visions and goals for sustainability?? Planning , participation and depoliticisation in new urban neighbourhoods in Sweden. Cities, 152(May), 105202. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cities.2024.105202
Willer, C. J. (2022). Rebranding place “to build community”: neighborhood branding in Buffalo, NY. Urban Geography, 43(9), 1350–1371. https://doi.org/10.1080/02723638.2021.1927323
Wood, L., Frank, L. D., & Giles-Corti, B. (2010). Sense of community and its relationship with walking and neighborhood design. Social Science and Medicine, 70(9), 1381–1390. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.socscimed.2010.01.021
Wood, L., Giles-Corti, B., & Bulsara, M. (2012). Streets Apart: Does Social Capital Vary with Neighbourhood Design? Urban Studies Research, 2012, 1–11. https://doi.org/10.1155/2012/507503
Azli, M., Abdullah, J., Abdullah, Y. A., Salih, S. A., Sahabuddin, M. F. M., Shukri, S. M., & Taib, I. (2025). The Impact of Neighbourhood Built Environment to the Sense of Community in Malaysia: A Qualitative Study. International Journal of Academic Research in Business and Social Sciences, 15(6), 1263–1284.
Copyright: © 2025 The Author(s)
Published by Knowledge Words Publications (www.kwpublications.com)
This article is published under the Creative Commons Attribution (CC BY 4.0) license. Anyone may reproduce, distribute, translate and create derivative works of this article (for both commercial and non-commercial purposes), subject to full attribution to the original publication and authors. The full terms of this license may be seen at: http://creativecommons.org/licences/by/4.0/legalcode
