Identifying Factors in Urban Loneliness Using Factor Analysis

Document Type : Original Article

Authors
Farshad Tahmasebizadeh 1
Shirin Toghyani 2
Mahmoud Mohammadi 3
1 Ph.D. Student in Urban Planning, Department of Urban Planning, Faculty of Art & Urbanism , Najafabad Branch, Islamic Azad University, Najafabad, Iran.
2 ssistant Professor, Department of Urban Planning, Faculty of Art & Urbanism, Najafabad Branch, Islamic Azad University, Najafabad, Iran.
3 Associate Professor, Department of Urban Planning, Faculty of Architecture & Urbanism, Art University of Isfahan, Isfahan, Iran.
10.22034/usd.2024.2026872.1242
Abstract
The feeling of loneliness is a psychological and social problem and is considered a hidden pandemic in the 21st century. The urban environment and spaces, as the place of living and activity, have an impact on creating and intensifying this feeling. Identifying the factors that cause a sense of loneliness in urban environments can help planners and designers create human-centric environments to prevent or reduce the occurrence and spread of this feeling among citizens. The aim of this research is to identify the factors influencing the creation of a sense of loneliness in the urban space using factor analysis. Methodologically, the present research is mixed-method, applied based on the nature of the objective, and descriptive-analytical in terms of the nature of the method. The statistical population of the research consists of experts in the fields of psychology, sociology, social sciences, architecture, urban planning, and social psychology. The sample size was 100 selected by the structural equation modeling calculator method. The questionnaire was distributed to experts in the research topic based on the snowball method. The validity of the instrument was confirmed by judgmental method, and the reliability was confirmed based on Bartlett's test and KMO. Exploratory factor analysis method was used for data analysis. The results showed that 16 factors including lack of connection to nature in urban space, lack of connection between urban space and citizens' identity, loss of connection between urban space and traditional culture, impact of technology on social interactions, inappropriate access to social places, economic and social problems, social and economic inequality, lack of social participation, unsuitable housing conditions, inadequate access to daily shopping centers, routineness in life, dissatisfaction with place of residence, urban traffic, lack of access to green spaces and parks, immigration, and high population density in the urban environment cause a sense of loneliness
Keywords
Loneliness
Feeling of Loneliness
Urban Space
Factor Analysis
Subjects
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Journal of Urban Sustainable Development
Volume 6, Issue 21
Winter 2026
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