From a macro perspective, urban renewal leads to a transformation of communal space, inevitably changing the frequency of neighboring interactions that affects residents' social capital. This paper investigates how changes in the frequency of neighbor interactions shape the residents' changing social capital after urban renewal. Rather than testing a simple association between communal space and social capital, this study develops a processoriented framework that conceptualizes social capital change as the outcome of a transmission pathway linking spatial restructuring to neighborhood interaction behavior. Using questionaire data collected in 2018 from 1086 residents affected by renewal projects in Chongqing, the results show that changes in communal space after renewal are positively associated with both changes in neighboring activity frequency and changes in residents' social capital. In turn, increased interaction frequency is positively associated with social capital gains. Mediating analysis further demonstrates that changes in neighboring interaction frequency constitute a keymechanism through which communal space change positively affects social capital. By focusing on post-renewal dynamics rather than static neighborhood differences, the findings indicate that improvements in physical space do not automatically generate social capital; instead, their effects operate through everyday interaction processes. These results highlight the importance of designing communal spaces that actively support neighborhood interaction and suggest that urban renewal policies should incorporate institutional and spatial support systems to foster social capital in transitional urban contexts.

Du Tongyun, Chen Hong, Guo Jie. Linkages between changes in communal space and evolving social capital: The mediating role of neighboring interaction frequency [J]. Cities, 2026,174.