Situating social connectedness in healthy cities: a conceptual primer for research and policy

ABSTRACT

In response to growing levels of social isolation and loneliness in cities, the promotion of social connectedness has come to the forefront of urban health, sustainability, and resiliency agendas. Despite policy attention locally and internationally, social connectedness is not consistently defined, conceptualized, or measured in population health and urban planning research. The term has also been used interchangeably with various other concepts in research on social environments and health, particularly social cohesion, social capital, and social inclusion. These discrepancies create confusion for planners and policymakers looking for evidence-informed guidance on the implementation and evaluation of urban interventions designed to promote social connectedness. Further, it presents a challenge for intervention researchers interested in investigating possible causal pathways between urban change, social connectedness, and health. Drawing from contemporary public health and urban planning literature, this paper aims to delineate the concept of social connectedness, including its meaning, measurement, and relationship to neighbourhoods and health. Clarifying social connectedness for urban health research and policy is crucial to interpreting and advancing evidence on its role – both its determinants and impacts – in the development of healthy, sustainable, and resilient cities.

KEYWORDS:

• Social connectedness
• social environment
• healthy cities
• urban health
• neighbourhood
• urban planning

This article is related to:

Research for city practice

Disclosure statement

YK holds shares in Polygon Co. (www.polygon.company) which markets the VERITAS application, a tool referenced in this paper.

Additional information

Funding

MS, CF, DF, YK, and MW of the Interventions, Research, and Action in Cities Team (INTERACT) are supported by the Canadian Institutes of Health Research under the Team Grant Environments and Health: Intersectoral Prevention Research [grant number IP2-1507071C]; MW is supported by a Michael Smith Foundation for Health Research Scholar Award; DF is supported by a Canada Research Chair in Population Physical Activity; and MH is supported by the Ministry of Education of the Republic of Korea and the National Research Foundation of Korea [grant number NRF-2016S1A3A2924563].

Notes on contributors

Meridith Sones

Meridith Sones is a PhD candidate in the Faculty of Health Sciences at Simon Fraser University and the Knowledge Mobilization Manager for the Interventions, Research, and Action in Cities Team (INTERACT). In partnership with cities and citizens, her research explores the impact of urban change on social connectedness, health, and equity. Meridith holds a Master of Public Health from the University of Waterloo and previously worked as a public health practitioner in Canada and internationally, developing knowledge translation, evaluation, and communication strategies for government and non-profit organizations.

Caislin L. Firth

Caislin L. Firth is a postdoctoral fellow in the Faculty of Health Sciences at Simon Fraser University. Caislin works on the Interventions, Research and Action in Cities Team (INTERACT) as a social epidemiologist focused on designing equitable healthy cities and mitigating negative health effects of gentrification. With a background as an evaluator and epidemiologist in the U.S., Caislin uses an interdisciplinary approach to identify solutions that address poor health outcomes experienced among marginalized populations. Caislin’s research spans criminal justice, cannabis, and healthy city research.

Daniel Fuller

Daniel Fuller is a Canada Research Chair in Population Physical Activity in the School of Human Kinetics and Recreation at Memorial University. His research is focused on using wearable technologies to study physical activity, transportation interventions, and equity in urban spaces. Dan has an MSc in Kinesiology from the University of Saskatchewan and a PhD in Public Health from Université de Montréal. Dan is currently a Principal Investigator on the Interventions, Research, and Action in Cities Team (INTERACT) and the Neighbourhood Factors Team co-lead of the Canadian Urban Environmental Health (CANUE) Research Consortium.

Meg Holden

Meg Holden is professor of Urban Studies and Geography at Simon Fraser University. She received her Ph.D. in public and urban policy from the New School for Social Research. Meg’s research and professional work examines how cities and urbanites change in relation to demands, plans, actions, and new concepts related to sustainable development and community well-being. Meg is a research associate of the Canadian Index of Wellbeing and the Korean Community Wellbeing Institute. She also serves on the editorial board of International Journal of Community Well-Being and the Springer book series on community well-being and quality of life.

Yan Kestens

Yan Kestens is a Professor at Ecole de Santé Publique de l’Université de Montréal and a Principal Investigator on the Interventions, Research, and Action in Cities Team (INTERACT). His research focuses on improving our understanding of how urban changes influence population health, considering converging objectives of sustainability, improved quality of life and reduced health inequalities. Yan develops new tools to collect and analyse spatial data and processes, including wearable sensors, and map-based online questionnaires.

Meghan Winters

Meghan Winters is an Associate Professor in the Faculty of Health Sciences at Simon Fraser University, a Michael Smith Foundation for Health Research Scholar, and a Principal Investigator on the Interventions, Research, and Action in Cities Team (INTERACT). Her research focuses on ways that cities and their infrastructure can play a role in promoting healthy and safe transportation, for people of all ages and abilities. With her team in the Cities, Health, and Active Transportation Research (CHATR) lab she works in close collaboration with cities and stakeholders to conduct research and create tools that address real-world challenges.