Social Infrastructure as a Response to Loneliness

Infrastructure and Mental Health – No Simple Answers

The report does not cite clear and specific research findings that would directly confirm a relationship between infrastructure and public space and improvements or deterioration in mental health, levels of isolation, or loneliness¹. However, it does indicate that such a relationship exists, although its nature depends on the specific context.

This leads to an important conclusion: each context should be analyzed separately, and comparisons between cities or communities cannot be made automatically. Communities differ in their composition, needs, cultural context, and local design standards. Solutions that work in one place may not work in another.

The Role of Social Infrastructure

The WHO report identifies several key functions of social infrastructure. Well-designed infrastructure:

• enables meetings and interactions without forcing them,
• supports building neighborly relationships and strengthening social capital²,
• helps break down barriers between social groups (related to age, economic status, background, and other factors),
• allows for both active participation in social life and simply being in shared space alone.

This last aspect is particularly important for people experiencing loneliness and social isolation. The ability to be “near others” without the pressure to interact allows people to gradually and naturally become familiar with the community.

What Is Social Infrastructure?

Although public space may be intuitively recognizable, the concept of social infrastructure is much broader and less obvious. It includes, among other things:Although public space may be intuitively recognizable, the concept of social infrastructure is much broader and less obvious. It includes, among other things:

• spaces for recreation and meetings, e.g., community centers (neighborhood clubs, cultural centers, etc.), libraries, parks, community gardens, sports fields, outdoor gyms, shopping malls, dog parks, places of worship, museums and galleries, etc.;
• “gray infrastructure” — public transport, roads, bridges, electricity networks, water supply systems, waste management systems, and telecommunications networks;
• green and blue infrastructure — flood control systems, green roofs, rainwater harvesting;
• but also spaces related to policies, rights, and services:
  • social and cultural identity, access to information, community services,
  • social and health policies, services supporting income, housing, and community care,
  • educational services.

Each of these elements should be designed in a way that responds to the real needs of a given community, supports it, and is accessible to all its members.

Accessibility as a Condition for Social Inclusion

If accessibility is considered in the design process, every element of infrastructure can support social inclusion. The simplest example is a library equipped with ramps, elevators, and other solutions that make it usable for people with disabilities. This gives them not only access to knowledge, but also access to the local community of readers.

At the same time, the report—and practice—show that every solution must be analyzed in context. In many places, services exist that deliver books to the homes of people with disabilities. For some, this is a huge support. However, for others who could physically visit the library, such a service may unintentionally deepen isolation.

Therefore, both the service itself and the way it is communicated should be designed with diverse needs and capabilities in mind, and with the intention of gently and non-intrusively encouraging people to use public spaces. As mentioned earlier, these needs must be identified by working with the community and by including people in the design process.

Safety, Maintenance, and Pitfalls of Modernization

The WHO report also emphasizes the importance of safety and maintenance of infrastructure. Neglected, poorly lit, or confusing spaces discourage use and can intensify feelings of exclusion.

At the same time, modernization can be a trap. Poorly designed changes may reduce accessibility or attractiveness for some users, leading to further exclusion rather than integration. That is why it is so important, when developing solutions, to carefully study who the users are and how to meet the needs of the broadest possible group—ideally by involving the communities concerned in research and in the design of modernization processes.

Strategies for Strengthening Social Bonds

WHO identifies several directions of action that can strengthen social infrastructure and foster relationship-building:

• intentional infrastructure design,
• active inclusion of communities in the design process,
• responding to changes within communities and enabling infrastructure to adapt,
• investing in social programs (clubs, neighborhood groups, events, volunteering),
• developing social prescribing.

Social prescribing—meaning doctors “prescribing” social and cultural activities as a complement to medication and therapy—is becoming increasingly popular in public health. Research indicates that it can reduce the need for medical interventions, support mental health, and counteract loneliness³.

Examples from Practice

To better understand how the conclusions of the WHO report translate into real-world action, I will refer to examples from two cities. They show not only specific solutions, but also the complexity of designing public spaces in collaboration with local communities.

Quartier U1, Nuremberg (Germany)⁴

The project covered neighborhoods along the U1 metro line in Nuremberg. Despite great potential, this area did not support neighborly relationships or interactions.

Urban Lab Nuremberg set out to strengthen community spirit and to test new forms of neighborhood development, such as co-production and community financing. Together with residents, numerous initiatives were implemented: community gardens, play and game areas, street galleries, a skate park, a garden school, a community kitchen, and a conference on urban development.

Many residents who had not previously known each other began to engage in further activities, often joining gradually by first observing the initial initiatives.

Medellín (Colombia)⁵

Medellín, Colombia’s second-largest city, was still at the end of the 20th century a symbol of drug cartel violence, poverty, and lack of trust in public institutions. Since 2004, the city has consistently pursued a policy of social transformation.

One of the key actions was connecting poor hillside neighborhoods with the city center using cable cars as part of the public transport system. This gave residents real access to the city, and neighborhoods became quieter, safer, and more welcoming. Neighbor gatherings, games, and picnics began to appear.

Another example is the Escaleras Oasis Tropical project in the Moravia district. A neglected and unsafe pedestrian street was transformed in cooperation with residents, artists, and students. The stairs were repaired, an urban garden was created, murals were painted, furniture was installed, and solar lighting was added. Improved aesthetics and safety made it possible to organize meetings and build stronger social bonds.

Summary

The WHO report does not propose a single universal solution to the problem of loneliness in the context of social infrastructure and public space. Instead, it directs our thinking toward locally grounded social strategies. This approach seems particularly valuable because it emphasizes the need for an individual perspective for each community and each space. For our Foundation, this is especially important, because strong social bonds build social resilience. That is why public space is one of the pillars of our work.

In this context, it is worth mentioning our cooperation with the School of Form at SWPS University. Students are carrying out projects related to loneliness in two public spaces in Bielsko-Biała: St. Nicholas Square and Esperanto Square. Concepts are being developed for small-scale architecture, indirect interactions, and solutions that treat chosen solitude as a form of regeneration. We will write more about these projects after the end of the winter semester of 2026.

Finally, I would like to make a personal request. I encourage you to look for some shared activity in your area—sports, educational, neighborhood-based, or social. Joining a group can give you greater agency in your environment, but most importantly it can give you space for growth. And if you are already taking part in something, pause for a moment and check how you feel after such a meeting. I hope those emotions are good.