SOCIAL ACTS AT HEIGHT
Liberated from the loneliness and social isolation in high-rise buildings
T.L. Nguyen (TU Delft - Architecture and the Built Environment)
R. Cavallo (TU Delft - Theory, Territories & Transitions)
Piero Medici (TU Delft - Teachers of Practice / AE+T)
M.G.A.D. Harteveld (TU Delft - Urban Design)
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Abstract
It is certain that cities must prepare for densification in the coming years due to urban population growth. High-rise buildings as urban housing have long been seen as a solution to address housing shortages. This typology efficiently utilizes limited space, allowing a relatively large number of urban residents to settle in the urban area. Now, the urban built environment is reaching the point where social and societal problems are also experienced in this typology. Residents of high-rise buildings struggle with feelings of loneliness and are unable to anchor themselves in the urban community. It seems that our urban designs have led to increased anonymity and a loss of social contact in high-rise living. The lack of social engagement within a community or social isolation has adverse effects on mental health, resulting in dissatisfaction, stress, and poor public health. Ultimately, this societal problem will also influence the urban developments negatively. As a result, the characteristic structure of high-rise buildings must be studied and reconsidered for the sake of the mental health of the urban population. The built environment must come up with solutions to encourage social interactions through design interventions in high-rise buildings and focussing more on public interior spaces.