Loneliness: In the Middle of Everywhere

Abstract

The world is urbanizing and its population is aging. These two simultaneous changes will likely cause the loneliness epidemic, as recognized by the U.S. Surgeon General and officials of other nations, to worsen dramatically in the coming years. Despite living in a time where the world feels smaller than ever, people across the world are reporting worse loneliness and social isolation, as well as declining trust in their neighbors and worsening mental health. Amidst the worsening loneliness crisis and closely connected mental health crisis, the time is ripe for urban planning to step up and turn cities from mentally perilous landscapes into assets in the fight against loneliness. Following recommendations from the field of environmental psychology, cities can better utilize their public spaces to provide the best gathering spaces for urban residents to come together.