How can urban design help prevent urban loneliness?
The Paradox of Proximity: Preventing Urban Loneliness explores one of the dilemmas of contemporary city life: how can we live closer than ever – yet feel increasingly alone? Drawing on interviews with experts from cities including Seoul, Tokyo, Vancouver, Toronto, Copenhagen, Turku and Paris, the book reframes loneliness as a spatial and systemic challenge also shaped by the built environment. Rather than treating loneliness solely as an individual health issue, the publication positions urban design as a proactive tool for building social infrastructure.


