A first-of-its-kind study conducted by Quinn Evans in partnership with the University of Michigan’s Center for Healthcare Outcomes & Policy shows how school design impacts students’ feelings of belonging.

Loneliness is a pressing public health crisis in the United States, with far-reaching consequences for young people. We know that the built environment is a prime factor in shaping feelings of social connectedness, but research on physical school infrastructure has focused on learning and health outcomes rather than belonging.

The Quinn Evans–University of Michigan team sought to change that by asking high school students about the spaces in their school where they feel, or don’t feel, a sense of belonging. Our findings, published as “Built for Belonging: A Nationwide Study on School Design and Adolescents’ Feelings of Social Connectedness” in the journal Children, Youth and Environments, identify design features that promote connection; suggest practical design interventions for existing schools; and underscore the importance of student involvement in school design. We hope they will also inform policy efforts and future research aimed at combating loneliness and isolation among youth.  

The research team consisted of Maya Fraser from Quinn Evans and Andrew M. Ibrahim, Mitchell Mead, and Lauren A. Szczygiel from the University of Michigan.

Read the full paper here.

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For more on places that enhance belonging, check out our blog post “Social Infrastructure Strengthens Communities.”

Interested in additional research into the built environment? Download our study “Daylighting Design for Circadian Health in Existing Buildings.”

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