As our political discourse generates derision and dissension, our time in the virtual world crowds out our time in the actual one, and trust in our institutions and each other has plummeted, local places such as markets, libraries, and coffee shops can help.
A new study shows that living near community-oriented public and commercial spaces bring a host of social benefits such as increased trust, decreased loneliness, and a stronger sense of attachment to where we live. Americans who live in communities with a richer array of neighborhood amenities are twice as likely to talk daily with their neighbors as those whose neighborhoods have few amenities. More importantly, given the widespread interest in the topic of loneliness in America, people living in amenity-rich communities are much less likely to feel isolated from others, regardless of whether they live in large cities, suburbs, or small towns. Fifty-five percent of Americans living in low-amenity suburbs report a high degree of social isolation, while fewer than one-third of suburbanites in amenity-dense neighborhoods report feeling so isolated.
What this tells us is that while the economic benefits of creating community-oriented spaces can be a challenge to see, the social benefits that these spaces have for the well-being of people is clear and should be considered more.
