Social connectedness: a growing challenge for sustainable cities

Abstract

This paper explores in a hypothetical manner the meaning of increasing urbanization and modernization for people belonging to a more individualistic-oriented culture (The Netherlands) and more collectivistic-oriented culture (China). Both societies differ in degree of urbanization and modernization and as a consequence are expected to show differences in the meaning of relations and experiences with contacts with unfamiliar others in urban environments. Positioning and boundary-setting strategies to manage relations with social environments and to regulate experienced stress and well-being in cities will be discussed.