The Development and Function of a Network Community:

A Case Study of Activities in the Setagaya Play Park

Abstract

    The purpose of this paper is to clarify how a network of voluntary associations can develop inside or outside a local community, and to identify the functional properties of the network. This study focused on activities observed in the Setagaya play park, in Tokyo. The authors found that collaborative relationships with the local community or government were best fostered by longterm activities that were initiated by a region-specific problemsolving volunteer-based association. Through organizational cooperation and by virtue of the characteristics of activity participants, a network community that is focused on regionspecific problems can be established. The network community is not required to remain inside a given region but could be expanded to Japan and the world. The social capital generated by the network community is available to the local community through voluntary associations that link people in the network.