CNU NYC Board Member Hannah Kosoff has written a three-part series for Planetizen on the relationship between urban design and romance that explores how the way we build cities and mobility infrastructure affects modern dating. Read Part 1 here. A recent graduate of Columbia University with a Master’s in Urban Planning, Kosoff manages the CNU NYC WhatsApp community, helping members stay connected and informed about chapter events and opportunities.
A survey of over 150 adults about their dating lives reveals stark differences based on their neighborhood’s walkability
Most accounts of modern dating dissatisfaction point to cultural and technological change, yet the physical environments where people live, travel and socialize receive comparatively little attention.
Research suggests there are good reasons to think urban form matters. On land use, a survey of U.S. college students found that walkable public spaces, restaurants and outdoor areas play a central role in dating and romantic outings.
We know a lot about how urban form impacts sociability and social perception overall. For example, one experiment found that pedestrians and cyclists were perceived as friendlier, more trustworthy and more socially desirable than drivers, even when their interactions with others were otherwise identical. At the neighborhood level, areas with connected streets, shared spaces and active frontages are associated with more social interaction than layouts centered around front-facing garages and private automobile access.
To test whether the same holds for dating, I surveyed 152 adults aged 18 to 30 in Miami who were actively seeking a romantic partner. The sample was roughly split between women (51%) and men (46%), with the remainder identifying as non-binary or preferring not to say. To capture the built environment each respondent actually experiences, I matched their ZIP code to Walk Score data and their self-reported commute mode to get a clearer picture of how car-dependent their daily lives really are.
(continue reading on Planetizen)