I think loneliness is the inability to meet people with whom you can have a connection with. And the design of spaces can help or hinder that.
The deepest sources of connection come from shared adversity, shared goals/interest or shared stage of life. To meet people with these qualities, you have to first congregate them in time and space, and then give them opportunities for repeated exposure to each other [1]. (studies have shown that repeated exposure creates the necessary conditions for building rapport -- humans by default are evolutionarily guarded against unfamiliarity i.e. strangers, and repeated exposure lowers that guardedness)
That's why parents at a playground are able to, if they desire, connect with someone and to potentially grow that connection. They have shared adversity, shared goals/interests, shared stage of life and repeated exposure.
I have personally experienced how bad building designs hinder connection. At my workplace, the cubicles are high and large pillars block views, essentially creating a maze-like layout. One can walk directly to one's cubicle each morning without saying "good morning" to anyone on the way. My entire whole floor is oddly cold and introverted, and no one takes notice of what anyone else is doing. Most days folks don't even know if a co-worker is at his/her desk. In theory one can walk up to each person and say "hi", but it's weird and awkward, and people tend not to do it.
Whereas in my old workplace, the layout was much more conducive to nonchalant interactions, and we were much closer as colleagues and shared many funny and interesting conversations -- not everyone did of course -- but appreciably more did than at my current workplace. Having a bunch of co-workers that you're friendly with can immensely improve your mood throughout the day.
[1] I go to a lot of Meetup groups. Most are extraordinarily bad when it comes to repeated exposure, because in a big city, there isn't a common core group that consistently shows up -- it's different people every time, and it's hard to form community when your population is always in flux.
When I was younger being in the same neighborhood was the main way to make close friends. This wasn't just for kids, it seemed like my parents' close friends also tended to be neighbors. Now it seems like people's friends are more far-flung (as in 15 minute drive radius vs walking distance), and people who aren't able to maintain those kinds of connections as well also don't get the automatic friend opportunity of neighbors because their neighbors' social lives aren't as local. I think the internet and especially cell phones contributed to this by allowing some people to maintain friendships easier with people further away.
Don't know if that's generally true or just nostalgia + what I've seen.
The deepest sources of connection come from shared adversity, shared goals/interest or shared stage of life. To meet people with these qualities, you have to first congregate them in time and space, and then give them opportunities for repeated exposure to each other [1]. (studies have shown that repeated exposure creates the necessary conditions for building rapport -- humans by default are evolutionarily guarded against unfamiliarity i.e. strangers, and repeated exposure lowers that guardedness)
That's why parents at a playground are able to, if they desire, connect with someone and to potentially grow that connection. They have shared adversity, shared goals/interests, shared stage of life and repeated exposure.
I have personally experienced how bad building designs hinder connection. At my workplace, the cubicles are high and large pillars block views, essentially creating a maze-like layout. One can walk directly to one's cubicle each morning without saying "good morning" to anyone on the way. My entire whole floor is oddly cold and introverted, and no one takes notice of what anyone else is doing. Most days folks don't even know if a co-worker is at his/her desk. In theory one can walk up to each person and say "hi", but it's weird and awkward, and people tend not to do it.
Whereas in my old workplace, the layout was much more conducive to nonchalant interactions, and we were much closer as colleagues and shared many funny and interesting conversations -- not everyone did of course -- but appreciably more did than at my current workplace. Having a bunch of co-workers that you're friendly with can immensely improve your mood throughout the day.
[1] I go to a lot of Meetup groups. Most are extraordinarily bad when it comes to repeated exposure, because in a big city, there isn't a common core group that consistently shows up -- it's different people every time, and it's hard to form community when your population is always in flux.