On a recent morning in Atlanta, Georgia, Marian Davis and four volunteers set up folding chairs along a busy stretch of the Atlanta Beltline where people come to exercise, sightsee, and shop. Next to them, a sign advertised their services: “Free Listening.”
Davis and her “listening team” are volunteers with a nonprofit called Sidewalk Talk, a community project that aims to dismantle loneliness, a growing public health crisis in American cities. By gathering on the street, they aim to use public spaces to foster meaningful human connections. For two hours, they sat there, eager to lend an ear to anyone with a story to tell.
In the United States, loneliness—the “state of solitude” caused by a real or perceived lack of intimate connections—is pervasive, affecting nearly 40 millionadults. Studies reveal it’s more dangerous than smoking, and deadlier than obesity, making us more vulnerable to illnesses like heart disease and diabetes. Prolonged solitude can also trigger the body’s “fight or flight” response, spiking cortisol levels, which can cause inflammation and physical pain.
[For more on this story by JULI FRAGA, go to https://www.citylab.com/life/2...ds-in-cities/543309/]
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