Innovating Community | Denver

About this event

The way in which we build and belong to communities is changing. The average person in the U.S. has only one close friend, according to a study published in the American Sociological Review. One in four people have no confidantes at all. Zero. Additionally, 75 percent of people say that they're unsatisfied with the friendships that they do have, according to a 2013 study. Meanwhile, religious service attendance is on the decline. New ways to gather in community can be hard to find and this level of disconnection is dangerous to our health. Loneliness has been alleged to have the same impact on our life expectancy as smoking 15 cigarettes a day, with a risk factor that rivals excessive drinking or obesity.

As more people move to Denver in search of community, we ask leaders of communities & organizations what community looks like today, what they’re doing differently, and how Denverites can get involved and find community.

Takeaways

Understand how communities have changed over past 20 years and how it relates to lack of thick community and belonging Understand what successful communities are doing differently Understand where you can get involved/spend more time if you are searching for community