Palaces for the People

“Social infrastructure” is essential to the health of a community.

Countries across the world are contending with a fraying of the social ties that strengthen communities. Increasingly, people – especially the elderly – live in isolation, while others join factions according to their class, ethnicity, or political ideology. Efforts to generate “social capital” – a community’s web of individual relationships and social networks – often focus on the ripple effects of voluntary organizations, such as bowling leagues, gardening clubs, and book clubs.

An area’s buildings and public spaces constitute a social infrastructure that is as significant to the community’s well-being as its “hard infrastructure” like roads and utilities. Social infrastructure encompasses parks, libraries, and coffee shops – places where people socialize and volunteer organizations meet. These facilities support the casual, everyday interactions that strengthen social bonds. 

Public libraries are crucial components of social infrastructure.

Libraries offer a free, open place to congregate. Parents...