Loneliness is a land use issue shaping our communities
By : J. David Chapman/June 12, 2025
A quiet epidemic is growing in our communities — not of crime or poverty, but of loneliness. It crosses age, income, and geography. And while we often treat loneliness as a mental health issue, it’s also, perhaps surprisingly, a land use issue.
For generations, our cities and suburbs have been designed around separation. We zone homes over here, businesses over there, schools in one direction, churches in another, and parks in yet another corner of town. The result? We’ve physically distanced ourselves from daily connection. We drive everywhere. We wave through windshields. And we wonder why it’s hard to feel part of a community.
In subURBAN! — my upcoming book about transforming suburban downtowns into walkable urban places — I’ve been exploring how design and development can either isolate us or bring us together. Loneliness isn’t just a product of personal circumstance; it’s also shaped by how our cities are built.
I’ve seen this firsthand in Edmond. As downtown has added third places like coffee shops, restaurants, art walks and public spaces, we’ve watched people begin to linger. We refer to this concept as “dwell factor.” I often witness two older gentlemen meet in downtown Edmond with sweaters matching their convertibles. They sit on a bench and people-watch. That scene doesn’t happen by accident — it’s the result of public investment in placemaking. To me, it is beautiful!
Walkable neighborhoods, pocket parks, corner pubs, and apartment balconies that overlook active streets aren’t just aesthetic choices. They’re antidotes to loneliness. They create what urbanists call “soft edges,” places where strangers become acquaintances and neighbors become friends.
On the flip side, when we build isolated subdivisions with no sidewalks or cluster retail behind acres of parking lots, we reinforce disconnection. We may have privacy, but we lose proximity. We might gain square footage, but we sacrifice serendipity.
Loneliness can’t be solved with just planning — but planning can make connection easier. That’s why the work of zoning, permitting, and placemaking matters. It’s why we should think twice before opposing a new duplex or a downtown courtyard. Community is not just about who lives nearby — it’s about whether we can easily see them.
What if we treated loneliness like we do infrastructure — something we can design against? In the coming years, I believe the best cities won’t be the ones with the most growth, but the ones that make it easiest to belong.
J. David Chapman, Ph.D., is Chair of finance & Professor of real estate at The University of Central Oklahoma (jchapman7@uco.edu).