Rx for Social Connection: Public Space as a Strategy to Combat Loneliness
Strengthening Toronto’s public spaces to foster mental and social health
Thoughtful design and programming of public spaces should be recognized as part of a city’s public health ‘toolkit’ — creating opportunities for people to connect and reducing the health effects of loneliness. The Bentway, a growing public space under the Gardiner Expressway in Toronto, built a public program centered around ‘softness’ as a strategy to connect people with each other. Credit: Samuel Engelking, courtesy of The Bentway
Findings from the study revealed that seating and nature can create the necessary conditions for social connections. Credit: SUSO Skate Co, courtesy of The Bentway
Landscaping and well-planned, accessible programming create the opportunities for people to re-engage with their neighbors and their city. It’s simple, but effective! Credit: Brandon Ferguson, courtesy of The Bentway
The impact of participation is further amplified when programs offer opportunities for volunteering. At Dominoes, a day-long event that involved setting up and toppling over 8,000 human-sized dominoes across a 2.5 km route, brought close to 300 local volunteers of all ages together. Credit: Francis Jun, courtesy of The Bentway
of respondents said that public seating enhanced their meaningful interactions
71 %
of visitors engaged in people-watching and found healing and connection by just being among others
20 %
more social interactions in areas featuring interactive public art compared to areas without it
20 %
For example, areas featuring interactive public art installation saw an average of 20% more social interactions compared to areas without such installations at The Bentway. For more than half of the respondents, landscape features such as grass, trees, and plants, increase their sense of belonging and connection to the place. Credit: SUSO Skate Co, courtesy of The Bentway