By: Isla Riddell

The world population is higher than it has ever been, yet we are in the midst of a loneliness epidemic. From 2003 to 2020, social isolation saw an increase of 24 hours a month, with social participation decreasing. People are spending more time alone and less time with others. The COVID-19 pandemic exacerbated this trend – forcing people to quarantine and social-distance themselves. A reasonable question is whether urban design can help mitigate the effects of isolation and loneliness. 

In March 2020, social interaction suddenly meant sitting alone in front of a computer or straining to hear a cashier through a mask and plexiglass. Remote work grew, and living rooms and dining rooms took the place of offices and classrooms. In October 2020, 55 percent of workers with jobs that could be done remotely were working from home, compared to 7 percent before the pandemic. Our environment changed to adapt to this new lifestyle: drive-through and curbside pickup for all businesses, plastic dividers, and virtual appointments increased. Home life, work life, and social life merged.

Remote and hybrid-style work has endured, with 35 percent of workers remotely working in 2023. Local businesses have been replaced with chains, and a recent study found that post-pandemic, non-drive-through stores saw no recovery, while drive-throughs were a significant factor in the recovery for stores with them. In 2024, 20 percent of U.S. adults reported feeling lonely daily, with the Surgeon General declaring a loneliness epidemic in 2023. While lower than seen during the pandemic, it’s still the highest in two years.

One way to address this is to redesign the built environment to promote social connection. Third places are a possible solution that allows people to connect with their neighborhood. 

Developed by sociologist Ray Oldenburg, a third place is a public place “on neutral ground where people can gather and interact.” It is outside of the first place (home) and the second place (work).

However, development in the United States has long conflicted with this community-centered ideal. America’s landscape is characterized by Euclidean zoning, which separates land uses by zone type. It often prevents potential variation, meaning only residential developments are allowed in residential zones, commercial centers can only be built in commercial zones, and so on.

This practice led to the creation of suburbs and sprawl as we know it today. Loans given by the Federal Housing Administration (FHA) and the Veterans Administration (VA) fueled the development of single-family houses post-World War II. Currently, approximately 75 percent of residential land in the U.S. is for single-family housing. 

The further development of suburbs solidified the car’s role in American transport, with governments prioritizing car infrastructure. By the 1970s, the drive-through had gone mainstream and began to cement itself in American culture. While drive-throughs are not new and have been the primary revenue driver for fast-food chains, the pandemic amplified their popularity. Drive-through traffic increased by 30 percent from 2019 to 2022, and in 2023, drive-throughs represented two-thirds of fast-food purchases.

The convenience disguises the hidden cost – loneliness. As our world becomes increasingly digital, it is harder to socialize in person. The priority is efficiency, resulting in little room for the informality that third places are supposed to possess and encourage. 

As development and demand for drive-throughs increase and previously sit-in restaurants convert to drive-through-only, there are limited options. Instead of gathering spots, these places are, as journalist Marina Bolotnikova puts it, “a place meant to be driven through – which is to say, no place at all.” This lack of accessibility and the existence of third places mean that it is increasingly difficult for Americans to form communities and identify with their environment.

Steering third places back into our neighborhoods will be hard. Rigid zoning laws act as a barrier to mixed-use development. Additionally, the communal component of these places challenges our prevailing emphasis on efficiency and revenue. But hope exists. For many, despite the decline in visits over the years, libraries continue to serve as an important and constant third place that market changes haven’t driven away. 

Businesses can help, too. A 2018 study found that patronage increased about 10 percent at a university library with an open coffee shop. Researchers have also found that when a Starbucks cafe is introduced into a neighborhood, entrepreneurship increases between 2.3 percent and 11.8 percent – showcasing the economic benefits these community spaces can bring. 

Entrepreneurship opportunities are possible in partnerships between cafes and establishments like bookstores, libraries, or parks. However, they need to be tailored to the community, while also meeting the expanding needs of individuals. These partnerships could be the first step in resocializing and reconnecting our communities.

References

This article is a product of the Data Analytics Group in the DeVoe L. Moore Center under the supervision of DMC Research Director Dr. Crystal Taylor and DAG Manager Alexis Staveski.

Edited by Isabelle Bruty and Chloe Offutt

 Isla is a senior interdisciplinary social science major, specializing in urban studies and urban sociology. She joined the DMC in August of 2024 as a Public Policy intern. Her research focuses on the forms and functions of third places. She is also interested in the role of design in our built environment. Outside of the DMC, Isla is involved with University Housing where she works as a Desk Assistant at the residence halls.

Published by DeVoe Moore Center

The DeVoe L. Moore Center's economic research and policy analysis addresses the role of the private sector in the economy with primary interests in state and local policy issues. The DMC is located in the College of Social Sciences and Public Policy at Florida State University on the main campus in Tallahassee. As an educational institution the DMC provides professional research experiences to undergraduate and master’s students through an extensive program of internships and independent study to prepare them for the professional workplace or further graduate study in economics, public policy, urban planning, public finance, or entrepreneurship.

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