Grist writer David Roberts has some interesting ideas about what builds community–and how our communities built for cars keep us from interacting with each other. He writes:

“Our daily routines now take place in a home/job/store loop. Interaction with friends and extended family — anyone outside the loop — must be initiated. You know how it is, all those people with whom you say, “We should really do something some time.” In healthy communities, social interactions take place within the daily routine. They do not (always) need to be initiated; they just happen.

Why don’t they happen more often where most Americans live? One word: cars. OK, three words: Cars, streets, and parking lots. Our cities, towns, and neighborhoods are designed for cars, and by their very nature, cars limit opportunities for interaction.

Spontaneous, non-commercial, human-scale social interaction almost always happens when people are on foot. Shared experiences are what knit a social fabric, and shared experiences require shared spaces. That’s how we weave neighbors, local businesspeople, mail carriers, etc. into something more than the sum of their parts. That’s why real estate prices in walkable communities are so high. There’s demand! Americans are lonely.”

Is this why Americans are lonely? Read the whole essay here