Social Infrastructure

Social infrastructure refers to spaces, institutions, and systems that support connection, trust, and community life, things like parks, libraries, schools, transit, and community centers. Social infrastructure includes formal and informal places where people gather and engage, encompassing the physical spaces themselves and their design, access, and programming.  

Social infrastructure supports health, safety, resilience, and belonging. It helps people feel connected and cared for, which is foundational to thriving communities and effective collective action. Communities with stronger social infrastructure tend to see better outcomes across various well-being indicators than communities with weaker social infrastructure, which may be more isolated and vulnerable. 

Investing in social infrastructure is a key strategy for addressing today’s crises of loneliness and disconnection. Strengthening social infrastructure promotes social connection and civic life.  

Discriminatory policies, disinvestment, and urban renewal efforts have historically dismantled or underfunded social infrastructure in many communities, particularly communities of color. Today, low-income neighborhoods, rural communities, and communities of color are often the most affected by weak or absent social infrastructure. At the same time, these groups have long created and maintained informal networks of support, even in the absence of formal investment. 

There is renewed recognition of the importance of social infrastructure in the wake of the pandemic, political polarization, and climate change. Equity in social infrastructure means more than building new facilities; it requires culturally relevant design, sustained investment, and inclusive processes. It also means repairing past harms and ensuring all communities have access to safe, welcoming, and well-resourced spaces. 

Social infrastructure is a vital component of community systems that influence health, housing, transportation, education, and civic life. It supports well-being not in isolation but as part of an interconnected ecosystem that shapes daily life and long-term opportunity. At a systems level, social infrastructure influences health, housing, transportation, education, and democracy. Change at scale involves public and philanthropic investment, policy alignment, and cross-sector collaboration. Locally, changemakers can co-create inclusive spaces, activate underused areas, and advocate for resources to sustain them, advancing health equity and community power from the ground up.