Social health is tied to physical, mental, and civic health. As people spend more time alone at home and less time together, each of these areas suffers.
This issue was notably captured in 2000’s Bowling Alone, and by all indications the crisis of social isolation has only worsened since then.
Just recently, in July 2025, the WHO released a report claiming social isolation is linked to over 800,000 premature deaths worldwide per year. Cigna’s 2023 workplace survey showed that lonely employees cost the health care system billions of dollars.
Fortunately, even small interventions can make a substantial impact in reversing the trend.
Below is the short version of the platform I’m advancing in Norwalk. If you'd like to discuss implementing similar policies in your city, please reach out.
Why this matters
Loneliness increases the risk of early death on par with smoking, and it drags on everything from mental health to civic participation. Meanwhile, the fixes are often cheap: clearer information, warmer welcomes, better coordination, and regular measurement.
What I’m proposing
Create an Office of Social & Civic Health led by a Director of Social Connection, tasked with delivering measurable improvements to the city’s “connection infrastructure.” Year one focuses on nine, low-cost moves:
- Form a Social & Civic Health Commission: Bring together health, parks, transit, libraries, business, youth, seniors, and community leaders to align efforts.
- Raise awareness: Use the city’s platform to normalize talking about loneliness and the benefits of connection.
- Support programming and spaces: Run civic and activity fairs twice a year, publish a community directory, and make it easier to find what’s already happening.
- Implement social prescribing: Train providers to screen for loneliness and refer people to high-quality local groups and programs.
- Support transit and mobility: Encourage walking, biking, and transit to improve social as well as physical health.
- Establish welcoming committees: Make it easy for newcomers to plug in so they don’t get stuck at home.
- Foster civic pride: Celebrate Norwalk’s identity, history, and volunteers. Make showing up cool again.
- Collaborate nationally: Learn fast from peers (Colorado Springs’ 1,000 Gatherings, Welcoming America, UK/Japan strategies, etc.).
- Report on impact: Publish an annual Social Health Report and track what actually changes.
How we’ll measure impact
We'll rely on existing data as much as possible, add a few additional lightweight collection points, and focus on what’s actionable.
Quarterly (fast feedback)
- QR code scans and link clicks
- Event attendance and demographics
- Traffic to directories and civic pages
- Council and commission meeting attendance
- Open commission vacancies
Biannually (belonging & connection)
- UCLA Loneliness Scale (via practitioners and public surveys)
- % who feel they belong in the city
- % who know 5+ neighbors by name
- Language access / ADA accommodations at events
Annually (civic & public health signals)
- Voter registration and turnout
- Volunteer rates
- Participation by zip code / demographic
- Trust in local government
- Inter‑agency collaborations and MOUs
Optional if capacity allows: Social Capital Index, community resilience mapping, and “civic muscle” scores.
What it costs (and why the ROI should be 5× in year one)
Most of this is coordination, communications, and smart use of what we already have. Year-one program costs: roughly $16,000–$68,000. Staffing can start at $0 by reallocating existing capacity, then scale as results justify it.
What people ask me (and how I answer)
“Isn’t this fluff? We have crime, housing, and taxes to worry about.”
Connection is how we reduce crime, improve health, and get people to actually participate. This is a lever that helps with the expensive problems.
“Why should the city get involved in people’s social lives?”
We’re not engineering friendships. We’re building the infrastructure and visibility so people can find each other more easily.
“How do you measure belonging?”
Use validated tools (like the UCLA Loneliness Scale) plus practical civic and participation indicators we already track.
“Isn’t this what nonprofits already do?”
They do great work—often in silos, often underfunded. The city can connect dots, amplify, and fill gaps.
“How much will this cost taxpayers?”
Very little relative to the upside. We’ll prove it with data in the first year.
How you can help
- If you’re in government: let’s pilot this with a tiny budget and clear metrics.
- If you run a community space or program: partner with us so people can find you.
- If you’re a resident: host a small gathering, volunteer, or help welcome newcomers.
If this resonates—or if you want to adapt it for your city—reach out: tony@belongfulness.com.