Members of UTA, including Associate Professor Takuro Yonezawa from Nagoya University’s Graduate School of Engineering, in collaboration with Keio University, the University of Tokyo, and others, have been selected for a project titled “A Model for Preventing Social Isolation and Loneliness through the Connection of Service Mobility and Multi-Form Communities” under the “Co-Creative R&D Program for the Achievement of SDGs (Prevention of Social Isolation and Loneliness and Construction of Diverse Social Networks),” promoted by the Research Institute of Science and Technology for Society (RISTEX) under the Japan Science and Technology Agency (JST). This project, called AmPlatea project, aims to build a social system that prevents social isolation and loneliness as a challenge to enhance well-being in urban areas. The Oiso town in Kanagawa Prefecture serves as a field for demonstration, where efforts are being advanced in collaboration with local municipalities, research institutions, and companies.

Fig1: Meeting with the mayor of Oiso Town

Background

While society moves towards greater understanding of diversity and the realization of a world where people are not forced into uniform values, two major concerns are emerging:

1) The decline in physical mobility due to the deterioration of local transportation networks caused by the aging population and declining birthrate.

2) The decrease in informational mobility, where the abundance of information leads to the phenomenon of “filter bubbles” (where preferences are automatically filtered, narrowing exposure to similar opinions and interests), resulting in individuals’ thoughts and interests becoming fixed.While new forms of communities that do not require physical mobility, such as the metaverse, are becoming a topic of expectation, without opportunities or interest in accessing such platforms, it is impossible to increase the places where people can rely on for support. If people remain dependent on a limited number of communities, they can all potentially become at risk of social isolation and loneliness.

The Approach

To address these issues, this project utilizes information and mobility technologies as tools to envision and realize a new society where isolation and loneliness do not arise, by promoting spontaneous encounters and fostering attachment without being constrained by time or space. 

First, in understanding the mechanisms of isolation and loneliness, we aim to measure people’s opportunities for contact with new information and communities, as well as their participation attitudes through the collection and analysis of both subjective and objective data, clarifying the relationship with a scale of isolation and loneliness. Based on this understanding, we will attempt to visualize and quantify the risks of isolation and loneliness.

Further, to promote spontaneous encounters and attachment, we plan to construct and demonstrate in Oiso a model for preventing isolation and loneliness through:

1) “Places” where local residents can gather, serving as a portal to connect to multiple types of online and offline communities, and

2) A service mobility model utilizing mobile services, such as mobile shops, mobile libraries, and mobile health check-up vehicles, that circulate the region.

Fig2: Project’s demonstration booth at Oiso Market Festival on May 19, 2024.

The AmPlatea project aims to address the growing concerns of social isolation and loneliness by integrating urban mobility and information technologies. By fostering spontaneous encounters and building diverse social networks, this initiative provides a framework for both physical and informational mobility. The project’s model, which combines local gathering spaces and mobile services, offers an innovative approach to enhancing well-being and social connection in urban areas, with Oiso town serving as a key demonstration site for these efforts.