Introduction As social prescribing continues to evolve as a vital strategy for improving health and wellbeing through non-clinical interventions, its success often depends on the environment in which these activities occur. This presentation offers strategies for designing spaces and activities for activating social connection, developed through a 3-year ARC funded research project with residents, councils, and community organisations in three outer-Melbourne communities. We demonstrate how thoughtfully designed, pro-social connection spaces and activities can significantly enhance the outcomes of social prescribing. Everyday encounters in shared spaces and low-barrier activities foster trust, familiarity, and belonging - creating the social infrastructure needed for prescribed activities to thrive. Method We engaged communities through 44 in-depth conversations with residents, six workshops with councils and community groups, and 12 co-design sessions with residents and practitioners. These engagements explored how local environments shape relationships and connections, and uncovered barriers, in-place and activities, to fostering connection. Results The research revealed that people connect best in places when they are aware of local opportunities, have access to inclusive, welcoming environments (that allow them to connect on their terms) and experience regular, informal social contact. The data collected helped to refine a Model for Social Connection Infrastructure, develop a shared language to support integration across health, wellbeing, and community planning outcomes, as well as create tools to help practitioners to design the social conditions for activities to succeed. Discussion The presentation will share practical strategies, tools, and design principles developed through this project, offering actionable guidance for practitioners and policy makers seeking to embed connection into local planning, activity programming, and everyday community spaces. By aligning pro-social connection design with social prescribing, it offers a roadmap for creating environments that support connection efforts to improve individual wellbeing and build resilient, connected communities.