Public space and loneliness in young adults in the Netherlands: An experiment with virtual environments

As levels of loneliness in young adults are increasing, it is important to design loneliness reducing interventions for this age group. In this study, we specifically focus on built environment interventions that could alleviate young adults' momentary feelings of emotional loneliness. We used an online survey incorporating a stated preference experiment with virtual public spaces in which seven attributes (presence of people, grass, water, benches, trees, vertical greenery, and traffic volume) were varied systematically. Respondents reported their momentary emotions (safe, relaxed, excited) and feelings of emotional loneliness after each video. The data were analyzed with regression models to determine the separate effects of these seven public space attributes on momentary loneliness and emotions. The results indicate that state loneliness is affected by the presence of other people in public space, as well as by the presence of trees and grass. Trees and other green elements (grass, water, vertical green), but also the presence of people have positive effects on feelings of safety, relaxation, and excitement. Public spaces with well-designed green elements and spaces that encourage liveliness can therefore contribute to reduced state loneliness, positive emotions and enhanced well-being.