How Urban Design Builds Community Connections

How Public Spaces Can Be Prescribed Medicine for Urban Loneliness The Bentway in Toronto just released groundbreaking research that should reshape how we think about public space as public health infrastructure. Their "Rx for Social Connection" report, developed with Gehl Studio and University of Toronto's Dalla Lana School of Public Health, offers compelling evidence that thoughtful design can combat the loneliness epidemic plaguing our cities. The context is sobering: Toronto was named Canada's loneliest city in 2024, with 43% of residents never seeing their neighbors and 37% feeling lonely at least three times weekly. The World Health Organization has declared loneliness a global health threat equivalent to smoking 15 cigarettes daily. Key Research Findings: 71% of Bentway visitors reported improved physical health 62% experienced better mental health 64% felt more socially connected 67% of visitors engaged with others during their visit Interactive art installations generated 20% more social interactions What Makes It Work: The research identified four critical design elements: "sticky" spaces that encourage lingering, quality seating that promotes sociability, interactive public art at human scale, and participatory programming that transforms spectators into participants. The space's emphasis on soft materials, natural landscapes, and adequate lighting creates an environment where 97% of visitors feel safe—compared to 85% in other Toronto public spaces. The Bigger Picture: As cities densify and solo living increases, we must recognize parks, squares, and public spaces as vital health infrastructure. The Bentway demonstrates how transforming underutilized urban infrastructure (in this case, space under an expressway) can address both physical and social health challenges simultaneously. For architects, urban planners, and public health professionals, this research provides a blueprint for designing spaces that don't just serve functional needs but actively combat isolation and foster community resilience. Read the full report: https://lnkd.in/gfA-DguQ How are you incorporating social connection into your design work? Let's discuss the intersection of public health and public space. #PublicHealth #UrbanDesign #SocialConnection #LonelinessAwareness #DesignForWellbeing

How can parks catalyze social vitality and build community? Here are ten ideas: 1. Design for liveliness: Jane Jacobs argued that parks need to be closely integrated with their surrounding streets and offer “functional physical diversity among adjacent uses, and hence diversity among users and their schedules;” this means four tenets in design: intricacy (stimulating a variety of uses and repeat users), centering (a main crossroads, pausing point, or climax), access to sunlight, and enclosure (the presence of buildings and a diversity of surroundings). 2. Ensure clean and safe environments: parks must be clean, well-maintained, and safe for people to use them. Investments that do these make it more likely people will visit and linger, increasing opportunities for social interaction. 3. Offer diverse opportunities to gather: a wide variety of programs, classes, events, and exhibitions bring a wide variety of people to the park. Events that encourage interaction are especially useful to breaking down barriers between people. 4. Partner with locals on co-management: these not only cultivate a group that can advocate, care, and organize events for parks, but build networks of neighbors with shared passions. 5. Provide ample opportunities to volunteer: this helps maintain the quality of parks while bringing people together in ways that build connection and meaning. 6. Furnish intergenerational play zones & senior social hubs: designing specific areas to encourage interaction across age groups—for example, comfortable/shaded seating, chess/checker tables, and bocce ball or shuffleboard courts—nurture new kinds of social ties and bridge divides in society. 7. Include dog runs: these build a connective network of neighbors around a like-minded passion. 8. Endow community gardens: these foster a sense of collective responsibility, especially when managed by local volunteers, as well as creates a beautiful, welcoming space that can be used for intimate social gatherings. 9. Mount generous shared food experiences: these attract a wide range of people to discover new tastes and activities, break down cultural barriers, and offer chances to meet new neighbors; one idea is to create regular, organized events where park-goers can bring food to share with one another builds community around shared food experience. 10. Supply diverse recreation facilities: a variety of affordable facilities offers year-round opportunities for shared activities and social interaction.   Any other ideas? Please post in the chat. Thank you Darren Hinton for these ideas. #parks #community #neighborhood #relationships #isolation Cormac Russell Frances Kraft Usha Srinivasan Lauren Hall Sarah Strimmenos Jennifer Prophete Gordon Strause Kara Revel Jarzynski Democracy Policy Network Sam Pressler Tracy Hadden Loh PlacemakingX Kevin Ervin Kelley, AIA Lory Warren Noah Baskett Dr J.R. Baker Matt Abrams Daniel Selz Daron Babcock Anna Scott John B. Carol Naughton Erin Barnes

We’ve been building Rancho Sahuarita for 25 years—and while it started as a development, it’s become something much deeper: a living, breathing example of how design fosters true community. Here are 3 things we’ve learned: 🔹 𝟭. 𝗦𝘁𝗮𝗿𝘁 𝘄𝗶𝘁𝗵 “𝘀𝗵𝗮𝗿𝗲𝗱 𝘀𝗽𝗮𝗰𝗲, 𝗻𝗼𝘁 𝘀𝗾𝘂𝗮𝗿𝗲 𝗳𝗼𝗼𝘁𝗮𝗴𝗲” (Borrowed from Teri Slavik-Tsuyuki🙂) At Rancho Sahuarita, the lake park came before the homes. The sidewalks were wide, the trails interconnected. When you give people places to 𝘨𝘢𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘳, belonging happens faster. We designed for interaction from day one. 🔹 𝟮. 𝗔𝗱𝗱 𝗷𝗼𝘆 𝘁𝗼 𝗱𝗮𝗶𝗹𝘆 𝗿𝗼𝘂𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗲. It’s easy to build “amenities”—it’s harder to integrate them into real life. Our water park, fitness center, and splash pads aren’t afterthoughts—they’re woven into the rhythm of the neighborhood. That’s what makes people stay, and stay involved. 🔹 𝟯. 𝗕𝘂𝗶𝗹𝗱 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝗳𝗮𝗺𝗶𝗹𝗶𝗲𝘀, 𝗻𝗼𝘁 𝗷𝘂𝘀𝘁 𝗯𝘂𝘆𝗲𝗿𝘀. We didn’t design for demographics (despite great market studies done by RCLCO  all those years ago). We designed for 𝘭𝘪𝘷𝘦𝘴. Every playground, school route, and event was shaped by a question: “Would my own family thrive here?”  My dad asked that. And our team does the same. That's how our program for families with special needs was born, or why "Story Time for Tots" thrives. Our programming is a reflection of our team. Design can’t 𝘮𝘢𝘯𝘶𝘧𝘢𝘤𝘵𝘶𝘳𝘦 community—but it can create the conditions where it grows naturally.

How can designers create solutions that ripple through entire communities? Imagine a park bench. It’s a simple design, right? But what if that bench, originally intended to provide a place for rest, became part of a much larger system designed to promote healthy lifestyles in a city? Now, it’s not just a bench—it’s part of a network of walking paths, bike lanes, and shared green spaces that encourage social interaction and well-being. This shift in thinking is exactly what the Social Design Pathways matrix helps us achieve. Created by the Winterhouse Institute, the Social Design Pathways matrix pushes us to think beyond isolated solutions. It challenges designers to collaborate across disciplines, scale up their impact, and work with a wide range of stakeholders—from community members to city planners. For example, when a team of designers, landscape architects, and social workers come together, they’re not just designing a park—they’re helping to reimagine how a city supports the health and social needs of its residents. The beauty of this approach is that it encourages designers to step out of their comfort zones. The more diverse the collaboration, the bigger the potential for change. And these aren’t just theoretical ideas. According to the World Health Organization, cities that prioritize active transportation systems, such as bike lanes and pedestrian paths, report significant improvements in public health and reduced environmental impact. The ripple effect is real. By using tools like the Social Design Pathways matrix, designers can clarify their intentions, collaborate effectively, and ultimately create holistic solutions that address complex social challenges. It’s not just about designing objects—it’s about designing systems that foster long-term, sustainable change. What design project are you currently working on that could benefit from this kind of collaborative, big-picture thinking? #SocialDesign #CommunityImpact #SustainableDesign #DesignForChange #Collaboration

Why We Need To Design for People First—Not the Other Way Around… Most developments start with buildings first—lots, floor plans, and density calculations. Then, after the fact, developers figure out how to fit in some green space and amenities. And at the very end, they think about how people will actually experience the place. That’s completely backward. At Red Oak Development Group, our process is different: Life → Spaces → Buildings. 🏡 Start with how people will live. What are the daily rituals, experiences, and moments that will make this place feel like home? 🌳 Then shape the spaces around that. Where do people naturally gather? What will make them want to slow down and stay? “A good city is like a good party—you stay for longer than you plan.” Jan Gehl 🏗️ Only then do we design the buildings. Because architecture should serve the experience—not the other way around. That’s why we focus on the "unforgettables"—the 4-6 moments that make a place stand apart. The textures, the way light hits a courtyard, the sound of footsteps on a shaded path. The details people don’t just see—they feel. This is how we build communities that aren’t just functional—they’re places people fall in love with. #RealEstateDevelopment #RedOakDevelopmentGroup #Placemaking #PeopleFirstDesign #CommunityBuilding #SmartGrowth #TactileDesign