Identifying factors in urban loneliness using factor analysis

Loneliness, as a feeling of suffering and pain resulting from a disorder in an individual's relationships with others and the environment, has emerged as a social issue in the present century. This unpleasant experience appears in response to quantitative and qualitative deficiencies in social relationships and has overshadowed human life in the present era. The urban environment and spaces, as the place of living and activity, have an impact on creating and intensifying this feeling. To address this issue, it is necessary to identify and analyze the various factors in urban spaces that affect the feeling of loneliness. A precise study of the environmental factors influencing the feeling of loneliness in cities is an important and essential tool for urban planners and designers to be able to plan and design urban environments in a way that fosters a desirable relationship between humans and the urban environment, taking into account the social needs of citizens, and prevent the prevalence and spread of loneliness and environmental isolation in cities.



The feeling of loneliness is a psychological and social problem that occurs extensively in urban societies. The urban environment and spaces, as the place of living and activity, have an impact on creating and intensifying this feeling. To address this issue, it is necessary to identify and analyze the various factors in urban spaces that affect the feeling of loneliness. Therefore, the aim of this study is to investigate the environmental and social factors influencing the feeling of loneliness and determine the relationship between these factors using factor analysis. A precise study of the environmental factors influencing the feeling of loneliness in cities is an important and essential tool for urban planners and designers to be able to plan and design urban environments in a way that fosters a desirable relationship between humans and the urban environment, taking into account the social needs of citizens, and prevent the prevalence and spread of loneliness and environmental isolation in cities.



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.