I speak with acclaimed author, researcher, TEDx speaker, and professor of environmental psychology, Dr. Colin Ellard.

Part 1: On this first part of our two-part episode, Colin and I explore how he discovered his passion for this field, how COVID-19 is shaping his current research and how we are all connecting, and lastly we discuss what evolutionary psychology can teach us about ideal group sizes for connection and community. 

Part 2: On the second half of our two-part episode, Colin and I explore research around what small tweaks can shape how we evaluate and want to connect with others, difference between what people think will make them happy and what they want, vs. what actually makes us happy in our home environments, and lastly he leaves us with what he hopes we consider in design and beyond. 

Referenced in the show: Colin Ellard's website; University of Waterloo’s Urban Realities Lab 

Colin's most recent book, Places of the Heart 

Dunbar's Number, Ideal Group Sizes - Research; Popular Press

The prehistoric Stonehenge monument and other archaeological sites offer ample evidence of human  civilization’s enduring need for communal gathering spaces, those places where people  can come  together for celebration, ritual, and the mundane (1). These places are what sociologist Ray Oldenburg  coined third places (2)—places unlike the private, informal home and the public, formal workplace,  being both informal and public. These are places where people gather and socialize deliberately or casually (3): meet friends, cheer for the home team with fellow fans, or just sit to  people-watch. Third places are defined by their “ordinariness”(4)  and allow people to meet, relax, play, and just be, with minimal cost to themselves (5). Third places have been shown to strengthen social capital (6), foster social connection (7), and boost diversity (8)  and well-being (9). They also serve as “enabling places” (10)  that promote recovery from mental illness by providing social and material resources11. 

The social interactions that occur in these spaces can provide opportunities for making and sustaining bonds, offer relief from daily stresses, support a sense of community, and facilitate tolerance between diverse people (12). Research also shows that the social support (i.e., emotional support, companionship) that people get in third places may match their deficit of social support elsewhere13. In light of this evidence, as loneliness is on the rise (14), the need for third places, and public space, is greater than ever. Yet across the nation, third places are closing (15),fraying the ties that hold communities together. 

To create places that connect us, we need policymakers, entrepreneurs, developers, city planners, architects, and, most of all, citizens to advocate for the importance of cultivating these spaces, which provide a buffer from the physical and psychological stresses of modern day. Although third places have traditionally been studied and understood as standalone brick-and-mortar spaces, this report makes the case that they also exist as small, semi-public spaces within larger buildings or areas—for example, the office kitchen, or the communal space in a long-term inpatient unit, or the shared interior courtyard of a large building. These places can be small- to largescale: office watering coolers, local coffee shops, corner markets, daycares, community centers, city parks, and street blocks16. Some have argued that virtual worlds can serve as “fourth places” or a type of digital third place; however, there is little evidence that virtual places can fill the real world physical needs for connection, community, leisure, and support that third places do...

REFERENCES: 1. Ellard, 2018; 2. Oldenburg, 1999; 3. Soja, 1996; 4. Hickman, 2013; 5. Cheang, 2002; Finlay, Esposito, Kim, Gomez-Lopez, & Clarke,2019; Oldenburg, 1999; Thompson & Kent, 2014; 6. Lifszyc-Friedlander et al., 2019; 7. Klinenberg, 2018; Williams & Hipp, 2019; 8. Klinenberg, 2018; Williams & Hipp, 2019; 9. Cattell, Dines, Gesler, & Curtis, 2008; 10. Duff, 2012 

FULL REPORT: https://www.hksinc.com/how-we-think/research/connecting-irl-how-the-built-environment-can-foster-social-health/

Many people see health as the responsibility of clinicians, nutritionists, and other health care professionals. Yet it has become clear that although vitally important, clinical care makes up just 10% to 20% of overall health (1). The physical  environment is an important factor underlying our health ecosystem, influencing how we think, feel, and behave (2). The United Nations (3)  and the World Health Organization (4)  have identified better housing and neighborhood conditions as critical to reducing health inequalities.

Physical environments designed to enhance social connections enrich people’s lives on a daily basis but especially pay off in moments of crisis, such as in the aftermath of man-made or natural disasters, when people’s reliance on neighbors and local friends is critical to their survival (5). This report is not suggesting that the physical environment is the answer to every challenge, but it is an important and often overlooked part of our lives.

REFERENCES: 1. Hood, Gennuso, Swain, & Catlin, 2016; Sir et al., 2012; 2. Cerin, 2019; Hood et al., 2016; Nanda et al., 2017; Peavey Hsieh & Taylor, 2016; Sallis et al., 2006; Wilkie, Townshend, Thompson, & Ling, 2018; 3. United Nations, 2015b, 2015a; 4. World Health Organization, 2018; 5. Klinenberg, 2018

FULL REPORT: https://www.hksinc.com/how-we-think/research/connecting-irl-how-the-built-environment-can-foster-social-health/

Have you ever felt lonely, and looked at how your it felt inside your body? Perhaps you felt stress, anxiety or like a foundational part of being alive was missing? That feeling, like hunger or thirst evolved to signal a threat to our survival. 

As humans, we evolved in community. People gathered in small tribes to support one another, to provide protection, warmth, food, and care for children. Given our nature, being completely autonomous and independent is a threat to survival. Our basic need to be interdependent remains even though the backdrop of humanity has transformed over centuries.

A 2020 Cigna survey showed that more than three in five working American adults are lonely, and rising numbers report feeling left out,  is understood or as though they lack companionship 1. These findings contribute to the sense that we are facing a “loneliness epidemic,” as described by former U.S. Surgeon General Vivek Murthy. Loneliness and social isolation have been linked to sleep loss, ill health, dementia, premature death, and even heartbreak—literally 2. These effects on our health are as harmful to our life expectancy as a 15-cigarette-a-day smoking habit 3.

REFERENCES (1. Cigna, 2020; (2. Cacioppo & Cacioppo, 2018; Holt-Lunstad, 2017; Holt-Lunstad, Smith, & Layton, 2010 (3. Holt-Lunstad et al., 2010.

LINK TO FULL REPORT: https://www.hksinc.com/how-we-think/research/connecting-irl-how-the-built-environment-can-foster-social-health/ 

COVID-19, the resulting stay at home orders, social distancing, and ultimately the social isolation that we've had to go through has been tough for our mental health as nation and as a globe, and that's one of the main reasons I wanted to start a podcast that talks about not only loneliness and social isolation, but also the role of the built environment.

I know you might be saying right now. “What does architecture have to do with our health, with our loneliness, or with how connected we are to our communities?”  I'm here to tell you a lot more than we think! It is definitely not the only factor, but it is an important and often overlooked structure of our lives and our communities that helps to inform how well we will be able to interact with one another. Our physical environments (e.g., cities, streets, homes) are a critical component of social determinants of health.

And there's been a lot of research that digs into how different aspects of the built environment serve as social determinants, how they help to shape aspects of loneliness, social connection and ultimately our overall health -- so that's really what we're going to be talking about on this podcast.

We all understand the deleterious effects of loneliness and social isolation, and this podcast will lean into those, while also exploring how physical spaces can make us feel more connected and less lonely. We will share research-informed guidelines on how to use space to foster connection, social health and well-being. And we will be sharing examples of spaces and strategies that work!

I am so excited and honored that you are spending time here with us and I hope you find it enjoyable and interesting. If so, I would love if you can subscribe, rate and review us! Check out more resources and articles on my website erinpeavey.com. Thanks for joining me on this journey!