The loneliness epidemic has reached staggering proportions in America, with 60% of people reporting significant periods of isolation — a health impact comparable to smoking a pack of cigarettes daily. But what if our neighborhoods themselves could be redesigned to heal this modern crisis?

Michael Gornik, co-founder of Polestar Gardens, shares a compelling vision for community-centered living that challenges how we think about home, neighborhood, and belonging. Founded 25 years ago as an educational nonprofit focused on holistic development, Polestar Gardens has evolved through remarkable challenges—including a son's cancer battle and the complete loss of their Hawaii campus to volcanic eruption in 2018. Rather than surrender their mission, these hardships became catalysts for transformation.

Now, Polestar Gardens is creating an innovative "intentional neighborhood" on the former Happy Heart Farm in Fort Collins—Colorado's first CSA. This 144-unit development integrates co-housing principles with new urbanism to create a walkable, car-optional community where meaningful relationships can flourish naturally. From micro-units to single-family homes, the development is designed to foster diverse, multi-generational connections that Michael believes humans are fundamentally wired to need.

Reflecting on Polestar's origins in youth programming, Michael reveals how watching children thrive in community settings—surrounded by mentors, peers, and opportunities to care for others—demonstrated the profound impact our social environment has on human potential. This inspired a lifelong mission to create accessible spaces where the "web of relationship" that nurtures our best selves can be woven into everyday life.

As Americans increasingly recognize the costs of isolation, Polestar Village offers a thoughtful alternative. Could reimagining how we design our living spaces be key to addressing our loneliness crisis? Visit https://www.polestarvillage.com/ to explore this vision for community-centered living and discover what happens when we design neighborhoods with human connection as the foundation.