NYU Press Release: Public Spaces Help Communities Thrive, New Study Finds (Institute for Public Knowledge and Gehl Studio)

On April 28, 2026, New York University published an official press release announcing the Institute for Public Knowledge and Gehl Studio’s report Social Infrastructure is Essential Infrastructure: How Public Spaces Make the Affordable, Joyful City Possible.

Public officials, health care companies, and academic researchers have warned that the United States is undergoing a crisis of social disconnection, with widespread concern that Americans of all ages have too frequently chosen screen time over physical activity and face-to-face social life—all compounded by unequal access to welcoming and accessible gathering places.

While the merit of community spaces has long been recognized, less clear is how specific types of infrastructure benefit urban neighborhoods.

Social Infrastructure is Essential Infrastructure answers some of these questions by spotlighting the value that public spaces—libraries, parks, and community centers—have in bringing people together while also meeting essential needs: helping to create new friendships, building civic trust, and promoting social cohesion.

The research, conducted by New York University’s Institute for Public Knowledge and Gehl Studio, also calls for greater investment in public amenities in order to help ensure all communities have greater access to welcoming and accessible gathering places.

“American cities do not have to be isolating and lonely,” says lead author Eric Klinenberg, Helen Gould Shepard Professor in the Social Sciences and director of the Institute for Public Knowledge at NYU. “Our research illustrates how social infrastructure helps people forge ties with neighbors and build a sense of belonging.

“Too many cities and towns treat social infrastructure as a luxury, when in fact it is essential for community, democracy, and civic health. It’s time for American cities and towns to reinvest in the places that give us joy and meaning. Investing in social infrastructure is the best way to begin.”

Read the press release here.