Loneliness is a public health crisis and neighbourisms should be part of the cure

In this Viewpoint (no. 111), Savannah Fishel draws on her Churchill Fellowship research into 54 communal housing models to argue that loneliness should be treated as a serious health crisis, one that demands a preventative, community-focused response.

Savannah introduces the concept of ‘neighbourisms': the informal, everyday acts of mutual support within intentional, intergenerational living environments. These social interactions, from shared meals to casual check-ins, can mitigate the severe health risks linked to chronic loneliness, including malnutrition, heart disease, and cognitive decline.

She highlights intergenerational communal housing as a powerful, cost-effective public health intervention that can help to reduce pressure on overstretched health services. Such models cultivate strong social infrastructure, reduce isolation, and improve resilience across age groups.

Crucially, Savannah calls for a shift in urban planning and policy by treating social connection as essential infrastructure, as we do with accessibility or sustainability. By designing spaces that encourage neighbourisms, we can prevent health crises before they escalate and build lifelong neighbourhoods.