Social satisfaction, commuting and neighborhoods

• Examines relationship between social satisfaction and the urban environment.
• Commute times of 30 min or more have a negative effect on social satisfaction.
• Public transportation level of service and car ownership positively related to satisfaction.
• Personal characteristics do not register as significant.

Participation in social activities and the formation of social ties, networks, and capital are crucial in shaping not only the quality of life and health of an individual, but also in creating socially sustainable communities. This paper examines to what extent the urban environment shapes an individual’s level of satisfaction with his or her social contacts. A particular emphasis is placed on isolating the role of commuting times in impeding this outcome. The city of Vienna, Austria, is used as a case study. A statistical model considers elements of an individual’s neighborhood including population density and urban centrality, as well as personal characteristics and transportation-related factors. Results indicate that those with one-way commutes of 30 min or longer result in lower levels of social satisfaction. Residing in a neighborhood with high transit level of service and car ownership positively impact social satisfaction.