Our built environment is exacerbating the loneliness crisis

"I've said it before and I'm sure I'll say it again: Our built environment contributes to a mental health crisis. The built environment as we know it-buildings and the spaces between- does direct damage to our minds. Communities developed slowly for thousands of years, but in 20th century America, the end of World War II introduced a massive population and construction boom."

"Spreading us out Typical land use rules are written, updated, and enforced at the local government level. Agencies copied each other over the years-because why wouldn't they? Much of what I've learned as an adult (podcasting, publishing, propaganda making, etc.) has been taught by generous people who themselves had learned tips and tricks. So, of course, public agencies copied each other. "Hey, that worked for a similar river city. Let's try it here.""

"Planning departments at city and county levels weren't setting out to guide development in a way that would purposefully harm us. Quite the opposite. If a new Sears distribution center was coming to town, they'd want to map out a plan to accommodate all the new employees and subsequent traffic. In the middle of the 20th century, planners were still very much concerned about separating dirty and/or dangerous land uses from residential areas."

The built environment contributes to a mental health crisis by directly damaging minds through the design of buildings and the spaces between them. Rapid post-World War II population and construction booms transformed communities that had previously developed slowly. Land use planning produced devastating economic, social, and cultural impacts by incentivizing dispersed development patterns. Local planning departments, seeking to manage growth and separate hazardous uses from homes, adopted rules that separated work, school, shopping, entertainment, and sleeping zones. Agencies repeatedly copied successful regulations from other municipalities, reinforcing sprawl. These patterns erode community cohesion and well-being but can be corrected through deliberate planning reforms.

Read at Fast Company