An illustration of the main street of a small town. There is a market, library, cafe, gym, and restaurant. People are walking on the sidewalk, are inside the buildings, and there is a car going down the street.

October 20, 2021

Public Places and Commercial Spaces: How Neighborhood Amenities Foster Trust and Connection in American Communities

Findings from the American Community Life Survey

The COVID-19 pandemic forced Americans across the country to reconsider their residential priorities. Today, many Americans would prefer to live in small towns or rural areas rather than denser urban neighborhoods, and they are more likely to prioritize personal space over access to community amenities. The report investigates the physical and social features of local communities that Americans value most. Continue Reading →

Photo of a house with a porch

May 20, 2019

The importance of place: Neighborhood amenities as a source of social connection and trust

Place matters. When given a choice, most people prefer to live close to the basics of community life—schools, stores, parks, and restaurants. Continue Reading →

May 20, 2019

Having a Library or Cafe Down the Block Could Change Your Life

Living near community-oriented public and commercial spaces brings a host of social benefits. People living in amenity-rich communities are much less likely to feel isolated from others. Continue Reading →

Generation Uncoupled

Generation Uncoupled book

Generation Uncoupled: America's New Gender Divide and the Crisis of Human Connection

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Survey Reports

Daniel A. Cox
July 23, 2026

A Digital Divide in American Adolescence: Gender, Class, and the New Teenage Experience

If teenage years once represented a time of rebellion, teenagers’ lives today are marked less by pushing boundaries and more by building their own. Many teenage experiences are less common than they once were—dating, working a part-time job, and experimenting with drugs and alcohol are less common experiences. The 2026 American Teenagers Survey from the Continue Reading →

Daniel A. Cox, Jae Grace, Avery Shields
April 27, 2026

Strangers Next Door: The Decline of Neighborhood Socializing and the Class Divide in Belonging

Acknowledgment The American Enterprise Institute’s Survey Center on American Life is grateful to the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation for its generous support of this research. As Americans spend more of their time online, the neighborhood—once a primary physical location for real-world socialization—is playing less of a central role than ever before. Since Continue Reading →