Walkable Cities: The Antidote to Loneliness in a Post-Pandemic World?

Carried out in the context of the pandemic, my undergraduate dissertation aimed to investigate whether urban walkability impacts feelings of loneliness. The intention was to provoke a novel discussion within the realm of urban design; can walkable cities become an antidote to loneliness in a post-pandemic world?

The coronavirus pandemic has provided an opportunity for urban designers to completely reimagine public space. With lockdown greatly reducing the use of roads, the pandemic has presented an unlikely opportunity to reclaim the street for pedestrians; testing the ideology of urban walkability. 

The benefits of walkable cities have been widely discussed since the rise of New Urbanism in the 1980s. Today the CNU, Congress for New Urbanism, advocate walkable cities, declaring that "communities should be designed for the pedestrian and transit as well as the car". Fundamentally, walking presents a valuable opportunity to see, hear and meet with others in the publicly accessible spaces of a city.  At a time where many people are deprived of close human connection it is more important than ever that urban designers acknowledge how the built environment can facilitate community interactions at street level. 

In the field of urban design, walkability is regarded as, the extent to which the built environment supports and encourages walking. Countless academic studies have investigated the relationship between urban walkability, auto-centric planning and social connection at street level. Aligning with New Urbanist ideology, the research suggests that walkable, pedestrian-orientated neighbourhoods are associated with enhanced feelings of community connection. Perceptions of a safe and attractive walking environment have been proven to encourage walking as a recreational activity, enhancing the opportunity for community interactions. 

By gathering the thoughts, feelings and experiences of those living in cities my primary research set out to explore the relationship between walkable neighbourhoods and community interactions in the context of the pandemic. The study aimed to investigate a significant gap in the literature; does urban walkability have the capacity to reduce loneliness in cities across the UK?

Unsurprisingly I discovered that, where the quality of the walking experience was poor, participants were less likely to enjoy walking for recreation. The study affirmed that those who walk for recreation, rather than necessity, were considerably more likely to engage with others at street level (Graph 1). Ultimately, urban designers must acknowledge that by enhancing the quality of the walking experience they have the capacity to encourage walking as a social recreational activity; enhancing community interaction. 

Graph 1: Walking enjoyment (for recreational purposes) against frequency of community interactions
Data from a quantitative survey of 238 participants

The research also confirmed that, in the context of the pandemic, community interactions are more important than ever before and that people with more frequent interactions have felt more connected to their local community since the start of the pandemic (Graph 2). For many people, opportunities to see, hear and meet with others at street level have inspired a unique sense of community connection. 

Graph 2: Feelings of connection (in the context of the pandemic) and frequency of community interactions
Data from a quantitative survey of 238 participants 

Most significantly, the research did reveal that, in some circumstances, these low-intensity community interactions have alleviated feelings of loneliness. Suggesting that walkable cities may help to safeguard against loneliness in a post-pandemic world.

Nonetheless, it is critical to acknowledge that loneliness is a subjective emotion with numerous contributing factors; it is unreasonable to assume that urban designers have the capacity to prevent it. Ultimately, designing walkable, pedestrian-orientated cities will not compel people into a lifestyle that they do not wish to partake. However, as social distancing guidelines are relaxed, my research has highlighted that urban designers have the capacity to repair our cities at a community level.