Connected living: how transportation, public space, and housing can heal loneliness

Abstract

Loneliness and social isolation have been shown to cause a 26% increased risk of death. In fact, the effects of loneliness on the body are almost equivalent to smoking 15 cigarettes a day. This is becoming a larger and larger issue as people between the ages of fifteen and twenty four have 70% less social interaction with their friends today than they did two decades ago. What can be done about this? Does the solution to the loneliness epidemic lie strictly with individual choices, or can we build an environment where social connection is as easy as walking out your front door. Through the careful design of transportation, public space, and housing, we can create a neighborhood with more opportunities for gathering, reflection and observation, and interconnectivity in order to heal our loneliness epidemic. This thesis applies these principles to a 350,000sq ft site located in LaPorte, Indiana. A variety of transportation pathways were then placed to allow for walking, biking, and driving. Next, public spaces were created. Finally, housing was added, including townhouses, fourplexes, and courtyard apartments. Through the application of these three principles, the site has created a more connected and less lonely way to live.