What are the Factors Encouraging Neighbourhood Associations to Assume Roles in Urban Governance?

Abstract This study addresses the research question: ‘What factors encourage neighbourhood associations to assume the roles of a service provider and a local government partner in urban governance?’ For that purpose, a survey with the title ‘Understanding the Roles of Neighbourhood Associations in Urban Governance’ was conducted with 154 representatives of neighbourhood associations in Seoul. Social capital theory, government failure theory, and third-party government theory offered a starting point in formulating hypotheses on the relationships between neighbourhood interactions, community characteristics, and the roles played by neighbourhood associations. This study finds that the social capital created by neighbourhood interactions and community characteristics facilitates neighbourhood associations to play the roles in urban governance.