[Rick76]

This is something that I care deeply about and have put a lot of thought into. I can only speak to what I think needs to be done in America.

Public transportation.

Removing or heavily rolling back zoning laws.

Government investment in child care.

Nature takes the path of least resistance. If we want people to actually meet people and have the energy to make meaningful connections, the government has to set up the infrastructure to make it possible.

I’m going to gloss over Europe because I went there for the first time, and it blew my mind.

People were at the park at 4 pm! I live in a city and hardly see people outside at 4. They have the time to go to these 3rd places.

People were visiting friends with kids, which blew my mind because everyone I know who has had a child instantly has dropped off the grid socially. I understand why, but we need to make it easier for those children and parents to continue to have social interaction.

In my hometown, everything is so spread out that visiting a friend could be a 30-min drive. I was conditioned to believe that isn’t a lot, but at the end of a workday, who has the energy? Personally, I think public transportation would help that also create a lot more interactions with strangers to maybe create new friendships.

Also, zoning laws would help that. If everything there is to do is 40 min away, it adds so much resistance that it’s not worth it for most people. If every neighborhood had a pub or restaurant, it would add a lot of meeting points for your neighbors and will create a lot more spontaneous, “let’s invite this stranger to eat with us.”

Lastly, we have to work less. This is the toughest to chew. I’m fully in the office now, but when I was hybrid, it was so much easier to see friends because I had some ownership of my time. We need to have the energy to be social.

I have a lot of friends but don’t have the time or energy to see them so I have felt lonely for the past couple of years.

I think it’s true walkable communities like Europe kinda feels like college, everyone is busy and have their own life but hanging out is so accessible that it’s a matter of why not hang out compared to why hang out

[maerF0x0]

A large number of these things did not exist when we had a lot less isolation, and a stronger social connection.

You dont need public transportation if you have a strong community proximal to you.

You dont need government childcare if You have teenagers (inexpensive babysitters) or family members to do it.

Nature takes the path of least resistance. I would suggestion this is reductionistic. People take the past of high certainty and higher rewards (albeit favoring the former)

If people _knew_ they would have a good time if they showed up at an event, they likely would do it.

[scottious]

Parents need reliable childcare. A teenager or aging parents can't fill this gap reliably. I need somebody to watch the kids most days from 8 until 4. A high schooler won't be able to do this. My in-laws who live 1.5 hours away and have mobility issues (plus their own lives) can't always do that.

I agree we need strong community in close proximity, but still people need to travel to destinations a few miles from their houses sometimes. Biking is a great (this is my primary form of transportation) but even I know biking and walking cannot fill every transportation need. We need the trifecta of biking/walking/transit to ween ourselves off of cars and develop denser communities with more people to interact with in our day-to-day lives.