The purpose of lingering in a city: a proposition of bumping places as a tool to tackle urban loneliness

Loneliness is a pertinent public health issue which is heavily intertwined with present urban structures, cultures, and experiences. For decades it has been evidenced that urban areas are a risk factor for mental health, yet this is where much of the global population resides. It is therefore important that focus is given to prevention and promotion measures in a city to minimise the incidence of poor mental health and promote wellbeing. By exploring bumping places and surrounding literature, this concept is given space for discussion.
Given the salience of loneliness in the sphere of public health, particularly mental health, it is imperative that solutions for addressing the issue are put forward. This paper nominates bumping places in cities as a contributor to the solution and invites further exploration and research in this area. The concept of bumping places is relatively novel and under researched. There is little academic literature available on this topic. This paper seeks to contribute to the body of knowledge currently available.