Jay Walljasper - Social Life Project

Paris is the World Capital of Affection, Comfort, and Joy

Public Displays of Affection. From simple eye contact to a kiss — human contact imbues a place with life. The natural expression of reaching out to communicate with or touch one another is a basic way of communicating, and is almost as important as breathing.

Transformative Ideas

To Save the Planet, Start With the Social Life of Sidewalks

Rich street life is no frill. It is an expression of the most ancient function of a city—a place for people to come together, all kinds of people, face-to-face. — William "Holly" Whyte

Transformative Ideas

Our Global Catastrophes will be Solved by Local Communities

The problems we face are global in scale. Yet the most effective solutions can be found on the local level. The frontlines for social change today are in neighborhoods, villages, towns and cities.

Neighborhoods

Seven Places to Experience the Awe-Inspiring Social Life of Barcelona

Seven spots around Barcelona that offer crucial lessons to instill social life in an urban setting: Sagrada Famila, Palau de la Musica Catalana, a Giant Flea Market, Parc de la Ciutadella, a busy neighborhood…park, market and street…and a small fountain

Streets

The Social Life of Sidewalks

Paradigm-shattering change will happen when streets, sidewalks and intersections are transformed into community gathering spots through the simple act of giving human beings priority over motor vehicles.

Paris

The Magic of Luxembourg Gardens

The magical appeal of Luxembourg Gardens is simply that people feel welcome to eat, relax or stroll. But it's under-pining is that, it's all about just a nice place to sit

Sidewalks

Creating the Streets We Want

Rich street life is no frill. It is an expression of the most ancient function of a city—a place for people to come together, all kinds of people, face-to-face. — William "Holly" Whyte

Turn Places "Inside Out" to Revive Social Connection and Local Economies

Thresholds where storefronts and buildings connect with the sidewalk —is the place to reunite communities and jump-start local economies after these long, hard months.

Coming Out of Minneapolis Tragedy, the Community Creates a Healing Public Space

Community turns site of George Floyd's killing into a sacred pedestrian space A mural at the site of George Floyd's killing has become a sacred space For weeks, the intersection at 38th Street and Chicago Avenue in Minneapolis where Floyd died has been closed to traffic so people can

Social Life and COVID-19

Coming Out of the Pandemic—We Will Have A Greater Appreciation for Social Life

Great Places to congregate can heal us in many ways As we ponder what the world will look like coming out of the COVID-19 pandemic, one outcome might be something quite unexpected— a new realization about what matters most in life. With billions of people today longing to bond again

Social Life and COVID-19

Open Our Communities: 10 Ways to Restoring Social Connections and Local Economies

How do we “tip-toe” our way back to a flourishing social life, capitalizing on local knowledge to make sensible choices about how to reopen our communities by involving local people in the decisions.

Italy

Passeggiata: An Exuberant Italian Custom We Should All Adopt

A regular stroll through town is not just fun—it also boosts our sense of community

Brooklyn

Three Iconic Waterfronts—Two of World's Best, and One that Fails Miserably

What Brooklyn (and everywhere else) can learn from Paris and Porto, Portugal

Paris

The Little Bollard That Could—Do a Lot

A simple tool that can make any city more walkable and pleasurable