The solutions mapping set out to identify and systematize more than 100 initiatives from different parts of the world, very diverse among themselves. The goal was to generate knowledge from them, bring to light and value other related experiences already underway—even when they do not explicitly refer to this issue—and contribute to the public conversation about possible ways of addressing it. This portfolio of solutions also opens a broad field for testing, since while some initiatives are backed by empirical evidence, others need to be trialed before being replicated or scaled up or redesigned to adapt to the sociocultural contexts where they will be implemented. Ultimately, it is people’s appropriation of these initiatives—and therefore the adoption of new habits, behaviours and perspectives—that truly turns interventions into solutions. Based on this analysis, several key recommendations emerge for addressing unwanted loneliness: Unwanted loneliness as a subjective feeling and social phenomenon, a duality reflected in interventions: it is worth exploring the potential, derived from State modernization processes, of using available citizen information responsibly to deploy personalized and segmented strategies for outreach, consultation, detection and closer, more continuous monitoring of individual life trajectories, without losing sight of scale. Public space and digital space as two sides of the same coin: what public space offers and brings closer matters because it enables (or hinders) spontaneous encounters, eye contact, places to rest and moments of pause or gathering. Urban design not only conditions the quality and frequency of everyday interactions; it also generates meaning and identity. Given the nature of the mapped solutions, it is recommended to implement a tactical urbanism approach, that is, interventions designed as low-cost, quick-to-implement prototypes that can be tested before scaling up. In parallel, it is important to address the specific challenges of digital space, such as how to reduce overexposure or problematic uses that reinforce feelings of loneliness. It is also necessary to design and implement user-centred digital strategies that treat proximity as a key input to strengthen their approach, without replacing what happens in public space. Local and even neighbourhood-level interventions: needs can vary significantly from one place to another depending on available resources, spaces, services and social networks. For example, in a neighbourhood with few green spaces or informal meeting spots, “chat benches” could be installed, while a city with a large student population may be an ideal place to promote intergenerational cohabitation models. It is therefore necessary to identify leverage points within a broader system that foster ways of sharing everyday life and thus building community. In this sense, there is an invitation to recognize the potential of citizen labs—as part of institutional processes—to harness collective intelligence and bring together different types of knowledge and perspectives for the design, adjustment and implementation of initiatives. Ideation, co-creation and citizen validation workshops can become highly useful tools to prioritize lines of action based on the population’s real needs, explore assumptions, design the most appropriate interventions for each territory, rethink those already underway or about to be rolled out, identify what works and what does not and why, build communities of knowledge and practice, and generate synergies with multisectoral actors, among other possibilities. These proposals must be designed with attention to who is invited, and to the dynamics that enable or hinder participation, so that all voices can be included and recognized. Health also includes community life: the quality of social ties—which make possible unhurried time, mutual support, care and a sense of belonging—is an increasingly problematized dimension of healthy living, and one that can bring wellbeing to people. Its expression in family and community life, or in dense networks of relationships beyond those built in virtual spaces, is one of its key manifestations. This approach therefore complements and broadens the scope of traditional health interventions and represents a central pillar in the struggle against unwanted loneliness.    Innovation as a meeting point and catalyst of purpose: from practices that enable participation, to simple interventions promoted by the public sector making use of existing resources, to new business models developed by the private sector in response to emerging or anticipated needs, innovative solutions must keep in mind the importance of providing imaginative responses and fostering social connection. This approach is not limited to cutting-edge technology; rather, it recognizes a basic need: people need others to feel well. Communicate, always: invisibility is part of the problem. It is therefore a priority to work on developing a narrative that highlights the issue, brings it onto the public agenda, reduces stigma by framing it as a collective problem, and encourages participation. As emphasized throughout, it is important to communicate through multiple formats and channels, using messages tailored to different audiences. Everything communicates: how the problem is framed and awareness is raised; the data collected; the activities on offer and calls to get involved; the progress of interventions; stories of impact; among many other elements.

Through our R&D line of work, we provided technical assistance to a local government in the design of a methodological strategy to research on unwanted loneliness. In parallel, we designed and delivered a sensitization workshop for public officials, grounded in the findings of the solutions mapping, which marked the starting point of a local strategic planning process to address unwanted loneliness. We also produced a report—scheduled for publication in late December 2025—presenting the findings of the unwanted loneliness solutions mapping, along with a portfolio featuring more than 100 initiatives and resources related to the issue.

https://www.undp.org/es/argentina/blog/you-are-not-alone-unwanted-loneliness-growing-challenge-emerging-solutions https://www.undp.org/argentina/blog/connecting-solutions-mapping-unwanted-loneliness

We chose solution mapping and sensitization workshop as our primary data sources to address the lack of localized, actionable evidence on unwanted loneliness, bridging the gap between fragmented international knowledge and the limited awareness and experiential understanding among local public officials.

It was necessary to apply participatory and solution-oriented innovation methods to reveal hidden assumptions, institutional blind spots, and interaction patterns around unwanted loneliness, helping unpack the system and identify concrete leverage points for local action.

Unwanted loneliness was a largely invisible issue at the national level and even more so locally, with scarce data and fragmented responses. To address this gap, we developed a solutions mapping to systematically identify and analyze existing initiatives that were already tackling loneliness, often without naming it as such. By mapping a diverse set of solutions —led by local governments, civil society organizations and community-based actors— we were able to surface patterns, common intervention logics and enabling conditions that do not appear in official data. This approach allowed us to translate dispersed local knowledge into concrete, actionable recommendations for public policy.

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