Conceptualizing Social Health in the Built Environment

Loneliness and social isolation have emerged as global public health challenges, with morbidity risks comparable to smoking or obesity. Advancing health equity and resilient communities therefore requires a robust conceptual framework that links social connection to the design of built spaces. This study investigates ‘social health’ as a notion that anchors the current ‘epidemic of loneliness’ within built environment and policy interventions. A systematic scoping review and conceptual analysis are employed to (a) articulate a coherent definition of social health for design research and (b) position it within established frameworks for health promotion originating in public health, environmental psychology and One Health scholarship. The synthesis identifies mutually reinforcing dimensions of social connection and maps them onto design-relevant indicators such as encounter density, perceived safety, and spatial accessibility. Clarifying the concept of social health encourages design and planning professionals to embed social-connection objectives into projects such as neighborhood renewal, primary-care facilities and resilience strategies, thereby offering a pathway to mitigate loneliness while advancing equitable, community-centred health systems.