The Neighborhood Resources that Shape Children’s WellBeing

Abstract

Children’s well-being is partly shaped by the neighborhoods in which they grow up. While past research has focused predominantly on deficits in disadvantaged neighborhoods, this systematic review catalogues neighborhood resources that positively influence children’s well-being, adopting a strengths-based, interdisciplinary perspective. Drawing on 32 empirical studies across disciplines including psychology, sociology, health, and urban planning, this review explores which social, physical, and institutional neighborhood resources support children aged 6–12 years, as well as when and how. Findings reveal that social cohesion, perceived safety, peer relationships, and adult support enhance emotional and social well-being. Physical resources such as parks, green spaces, and walkable infrastructure foster physical activity and life satisfaction, while institutional supports, including libraries, afterschool programs, and community centers, contribute to subjective well-being and academic engagement. The review highlights the importance of context: effects vary by age, gender, socioeconomic background, and cultural setting. Mediators such as lower parenting stress, neighborhood satisfaction, and family resilience elucidate the mechanisms through which neighborhood resources affect well-being. Notably, participatory and qualitative research underscores children’s own perspectives and agency, revealing valued but often overlooked informal neighborhood features. This review calls for equity-oriented, transdisciplinary approaches that integrate children's voices and foster neighborhood environments as active supports for well-being and development.