By analyzing four public spaces using William H. Whyte's groundbreaking techniques for studying street life, a team of researchers led by Keith Hampton reached some surprising conclusions about how technology is changing our social interactions.
Influential books like “Bowling Alone,” by Robert D. Putnam, and “Alone Together,” by Sherry Turkle have explored the atomizing effect that modern technology is having on our relationships and communal structures. But unlike those who've produced "vague theories" about how digital technology is changing our lives, sociologist Keith Hampton sought to use hard data to answer questions like: "Are we really all just walking around tapping and tweeting and texting and ignoring our fellow human beings? Was there a pre-smartphone Eden?"
What did they find? "According to Hampton, our tendency to interact with others in public has, if anything, improved since the ‘70s," writes Mark Oppenheimer. As confounding as that conclusion is, the team's most surprising finding was that: "Today there are just a lot more women in public, proportional to men."
"Across the board, Hampton found that the story of public spaces in the last 30 years has not been aloneness, or digital distraction, but gender equity," concludes Oppenheimer.
FULL STORY: Technology Is Not Driving Us Apart After All
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Southwest Airlines and the project for Public Spaces continue their partnership on the Heart of the Community program, awarding placemaking grants to six cities around the country.
Southwest Airlines Joins Project for Public Spaces to Activate Parks
Southwest Airlines joins Project for Public Spaces in an initiative to reactivate underused public spaces.
Fighting the ‘Loneliness Epidemic’ in Cities
While urban design alone can’t mend the tears in our social fabric, planning decisions and thoughtful, inclusive design can offer or hinder opportunities for interaction.
Depopulation Patterns Get Weird
A recent ranking of “declining” cities heavily features some of the most expensive cities in the country — including New York City and a half-dozen in the San Francisco Bay Area.
California Exodus: Population Drops Below 39 Million
Never mind the 40 million that demographers predicted the Golden State would reach by 2018. The state's population dipped below 39 million to 38.965 million last July, according to Census data released in March, the lowest since 2015.
Chicago to Turn High-Rise Offices into Housing
Four commercial buildings in the Chicago Loop have been approved for redevelopment into housing in a bid to revitalize the city’s downtown post-pandemic.
How California Transit Agencies are Addressing Rider Harassment
Safety and harassment are commonly cited reasons passengers, particularly women and girls, avoid public transit.
Significant Investments Needed to Protect LA County Residents From Climate Hazards
A new study estimates that LA County must invest billions of dollars before 2040 to protect residents from extreme heat, increasing precipitation, worsening wildfires, rising sea levels, and climate-induced public health threats.
Federal Rule Raises Cost for Oil and Gas Extraction on Public Lands
An update to federal regulations raises minimum bonding to limit orphaned wells and ensure cleanup costs are covered — but it still may not be enough to mitigate the damages caused by oil and gas drilling.
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Urban Design for Planners 1: Software Tools
This six-course series explores essential urban design concepts using open source software and equips planners with the tools they need to participate fully in the urban design process.
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Learn the tools for implementing Universal Design in planning regulations.
