Novel use of geographically detailed measures of the high street.

No evidence that adolescents' proximity to high streets at age 14 is associated with social isolation or support at age 17.

Diversity of high streets was also not associated with adolescent social isolation or support.

High streets have been shown to be central to socio-economic activity, given their diverse residential, leisure, and commercial activities. This study explores the link between adolescent social isolation and proximity to, and land use mix in, high streets. Hypothesising that greater distance from high streets might increase social isolation, measured via social activities, friend contact frequency, and social support, we used multilevel modelling with data from the Millennium Cohort Study. We did not observe a relationship between proximity to high streets and these social isolation indicators, suggesting that high streets may either not significantly influence adolescent social engagement or that young people are willing to travel greater distances.

High streets

Adolescents

Social isolation

Social support

Built environment

Great britain

© 2024 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Ltd.