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  • NEWS AND VIEWS

Urban youth most isolated in largest cities

GPS data reveal that young people encounter fewer individuals from diverse groups than do adults. The isolation of young people is exacerbated in larger cities, and for those living in poverty.
  1. Victor Couture

    1. Victor Couture is in the Vancouver School of Economics, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia V6T 1L4, Canada.

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Cities exist to bring people together. Shared urban spaces, such as public amenities or commercial venues, offer settings for social interactions — be they for networking, learning or friendship. But the social benefits offered through such interactions are not open to everyone. Writing in Nature Cities, Cook et al.1 report that young people living in urban areas often struggle to take full advantage of the benefits of large cities. For instance, young people living in poverty tend to visit venues close to their homes, which are typically frequented by people with similar incomes. The authors’ extensive evidence echoes anecdotal accounts, such as those of disadvantaged youths who live in Los Angeles, California, but have never seen the ocean (see go.nature.com/3rpkj3v).

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Nature 625, 667-668 (2024)

doi: https://doi.org/10.1038/d41586-023-04083-2

The author used GPT-4 to help to prepare the draft of this News & Views.

References

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Competing Interests

The author declares no competing interests.

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