Building a Better Block with Andrew Howard

In this special Best Of Shared Space Season 2! We talk with architects, psychologist, designers, activists, writers, urban planners – a host of amazing community changemakers on season two and we weave all of those together for you all. We start with a basic understanding of what is loneliness, social health, and social capital and why is it so important? Then we dive into office spaces, public places, housing, and more – exploring examples from across the globe as to what types of design strategies and approaches foster health, happiness, social connection and combat loneliness. Interviews Dr. Mario Luis Small, sociologist, endowed professor at Harvard University, and Panama native - shares his studies on social networks, and starts by defining a key component of our social health – social capital, and why it is critical for so many of the other social determinants we think of from transportation, education and habit formation. Nigel Oseland, author and environmental psychologist – shares findings from his recent book Beyond The Workplace Zoo: Humanizing the Office. He specializes in workplace design for human connection, and I was honored to be his first interview for his new book. Emily Anthes, New York Times reporter and author shares findings from her book – The Great Indoors: The Surprising Science of How Buildings Shape Our Behavior, Health, and Happiness. Mitchell Reardon, urban planner with Happy Cities – talks about what it means to create truly accessible spaces for everyone, where everyone feels welcome. He shares fascinating research findings around Streets for People, a study they did in Canada at the beginning of the Pandemic. Katie Swenson, design activist and author of MASS Design Group just published two books – Design with Love: At Home in America about her time with Enterprise Communities, and In Bohemia about her personal journey. She discussed how architecture needs to rethink and evaluate the success of spaces and the importance of dignity in design as a fundamental need. Shelby Blessing, Architect and Activist in Austin Texas shares her experiences working with the Community First Village in Austin – designed specifically for community building and connection for formerly homeless individuals. June Grant, Okland based activist and architect shares her experiences working with AARP – the largest non-profit dedicated to older adults to create a guidebook for Accessory Dwelling Units – as a method for maintaining community fabric and fostering social connection in communities. Andrew Howard, urban planner with Team Better Block and WGI talks about what is really important about not only the product but the process of community design. Judy Sullivan and Meg Moschetto from the Cochrane Heights Neighborhood Association in Dallas, Texas share their perspective of citizen activists that transformed a rundown empty space into a vibrant public community space. They share what it took to get it done and what it changed for their neighborhood community. ... About the Host:   Erin is an architect and design researcher bridging the gap between research and practice with a focus on design for health. Website: www.erinpeavey.com Twitter: @erin_peavey Instagram: @design.for.health 

In this episode, I speak with community leaders, and all-around good neighbors, Judy Sullivan and Meg Moschetto of the Cochrane Heights Neighborhood Association in Dallas, Texas. They recently transformed an ‘eyesore’ alley into a place of connection, expanding their neighborhood, increasing safety, and paving the way for a butterfly garden, kids playing and many more dog walks with neighbors. Their journey and the beautiful results were first captured by the Dallas Morning News, and serve as an example to us all for how small community-led changes can have a big impact.

How do our workplaces and practices impact loneliness? How can you design for connection of all kinds? In 2019, 61% of U.S. working adults reported experiencing loneliness, which is tied to decreased productivity, work satisfaction and turn over. Yet, we rarely ask the question of how to design for connection in our workplaces as a priority. In this episode, I speak with Dr. Nigel Oseland who shares design strategies for fostering four types of connections in the work environment! Dr. Oseland is an environmental psychologist, workplace strategist, change manager, researcher, author, and international speaker. He works with his clients to redefine their work styles, and create cost-effective, space efficient workplaces that enhance concentration, collaboration, and creativity. I was first introduced to his work through the Centre of Conscious Design. His lessons about loneliness and the workplace are exciting and important.  We hope you enjoy this episode! In this episode, we discuss... Introduction [0:30] A Place of Connection for Him When He was Growing Up [01:11] How He Got into This Field [03:21] Is Loneliness a Personal Issue that's Completely Separate from Work? [08:08] The Generation Age Divide Around Loneliness [12:42] What the Research Says About Employee Loneliness and Sense of Connection [14:18] How to Design Differently for the Four Types of Relationships that Workplaces Foster [16:56] What Small Offices can Tweak to Encourage Different Types of Relationships in Workspace [25:20] Other Considerations Outside Built Space to Foster Workplace Relationships [29:33] The Difference Between Loneliness and Social Isolation [30:00] His Tips for Building Open Office Spaces, that Also Support Privacy [32:19] His Upcoming Book and What it is About [34:38] One Thing He Wishes People Knew and Used When Designing for Social Connection [38:40] Nigel Oseland, PhD - Environmental Psychologist:  Website: www.workplaceunlimited.com Twitter: https://twitter.com/oseland?s=20

Dr. Mario Luis Small grew up in Panama City, the son of an architect in a tight knit community of other families. He learned first-hand the way that spaces and social connections shape well-being and community.  In this episode of Shared Space, I talk with Mario, Grafstein Family Professor in the Department of Sociology at Harvard University, about how his early experiences shaped his future work and his discovery around the importance of social capital, trust and social ties in strengthening communities across the globe, and specifically the nature of architecture and urban design to shape connection.  Dr. Small has published award-winning articles, edited volumes, and books on topics such as social relationships, urban poverty, and the relationship between qualitative and quantitative methods. He has amazing books, from Villa Victoria to Unanticipated Gains, to his latest book, Someone To Talk To: How Networks Matter in Practice.  In this episode, we discuss... Introduction [0:30] A Place of Connection for Him Growing Up [02:56] What are Social Capital and Social Ties, and Why They are Important [05:47] Bridging versus Bonding Ties [07:57] How Social Ties Impact Our Health and Overall Well-being [09:25] Self-Care versus Caring for Others [14:43] How Nature of our Social Connections Changed During the Pandemic [18:08] Do Fewer Connections Mean Deeper Connections? [24:27] Places where He Feels the Environment Has Impacted the Connections of Communities [26:45] Networking of Mothers at Childcare Centers [31:20] How Things are Different for Communities of Lower Socioeconomic Status [32:54] What He Wishes Designers Would Consider When Designing for Social Connection [35:48] Closing Remarks [38:33] Where to Find Dr. Mario Luis Small Twitter: @MarioLuisSmall  Website: http://www.marioluissmall.com/ Resources Mentioned Loneliness: Human Nature and the Need for Social Connection by John T. Cacioppo and William Patrick About the Host Erin is an architect and design researcher bridging the gap between research and practice with a focus on design for health. She believes in the power of places to heal, connect, and serve vulnerable people — from hospital patients and staff, to people struggling with social isolation and mental health challenges. Erin is driven by a commitment to help others and the joy of working together to solve complex problems with shared purpose. Twitter: @erin_peavey; LinkedIn: Erin K. Peavey; Instagram: @design.for.health

How can a one-day event spark lasting change? How can community design be open sourced? What should we be measuring if we want to gauge positive change? I talk with transportation and placemaking expert, Andrew Howard about his experiences doing just this with Team Better Block. Andrew is the director of placemaking at WGI, a national design and professional services firm leading in technology-based solutions for the construction of public infrastructure and real estate development. Andrew co-founded Better Block in 2010 as a transportation and placemaking focused public outreach firm that temporarily re-engineers auto-dominated, blighted, and underused urban areas into vibrant centers. In this episode, Andrew and I discuss: - How his abuelita first kindled his passion for the lives of city centers. - His journey from Mineral Wells, Texas to being a Harvard Loeb Fellow. - How he and Jason Roberts first founded Better Block in 2010, and the problem they wanted to solve. - Why we need to get out in the community more, and spend more time making and less time behind computers. - What we should be measuring if we want to impact positive change (hint, it is not the number of cars) - Andrew’s hopes for the future of food and beverage as intrinsically linked to city and community planning. Alongside his neighbors he and Jason Roberts built the first two Better Blocks in Dallas, Texas and pioneered the idea of using pop up demonstrations as an urban planning method. Now having been used in over 200 communities from Sydney, Australia to Bethel, Vermont Better Block is seen as an alternative to the typical design and defend urban planning method of the past. They have some amazing resources on their website so make sure to check out Team Better Block.

June Grant is an architect, designer and researcher committed to the craft of buildings, their potential to enhance cities and develop socially responsible solutions to complex real-world problems. She is the founding Principal of blink!LAB architecture, a boutique, research-based architecture practice focused on adaptive and transformative sustainable development. June has a master’s in architecture from Yale and has studied economics and sculpture. She is the immediate-past President of the San Francisco Chapter of the National Organization of Minority Architects (SFNOMA), where she is committed to growing practice opportunities for under-represented groups by strengthening the role of communication. June is a community builder in every sense of the word. In this episode, June shares: Her memories growing up in Jamaica and how they shaped her journey to be an architect. The strength and joy of intergenerational living. How AARP – the largest nonprofit organization dedicated to older adults – found her work and wanted to partner. How “granny flats” (i.e., accessory dwelling units (ADUs), in-law units) can help support diverse, sustainable, and equitable communities. The power of observation as critical to design and community building. To learn more, visit our website at erinpeavey.com/sharedspace

What is the most talked about neighborhood in Austin, TX? The Community First! Village, a 51-acre master planned village that fosters independence, friendship and community in service with the homeless. This innovate residential program, developed by Mobile Loaves & Fishes is rethinking housing and showing amazing results. Shelby Blessing, AIA is a design architect, impassioned activist and Austin-based design for equity leader, with Page/. She shares stories from years of working with and serving the Community First! Village through design and research. Where to Find Shelby Blessing & The Community First! Village LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/shelby-blessing/ Community First! Village: https://mlf.org/community-first/ Resources Mentioned Beyond Homelessness: Christian Faith in a Culture of Displacement by Steven Bouma-Prediger

Can our cities be designed to make us happier? What is the role of public space in fostering a more civil society? Can street design foster trust – or even romance? Mitchell Reardon, a senior urban planner, lecturer, and leader at Happy Cities. Happy Cities is an interdisciplinary firm working at the intersection of urban design, policy, engagement and human wellbeing. They turn evidence into action for happier, healthier and more inclusive communities. Mitchell’s experiments, projects and research have helped clients achieve high standards in health, wellbeing and sociability in cities around the world, including Vancouver, Wuhan, Mexico City and Stockholm. Mitchell co-founded Metropolitan Collective, a group of tactical urbanists who have transformed unloved and overlooked spaces in Vancouver and beyond. He is a board member for the Vancouver Public Space Network. Mitchell is a compelling lecturer whose paradigm-shifting keynotes on the link between urban design, sustainable planning and human health have moved audiences in Canada and in Europe. Mitchell received his Masters of Science in Urban and Regional Planning at Stockholm University in Sweden. His work and insights have been published or broadcast on Next City, CBC News, StarMetro, CBC Radio and more. In this episode we talk about: - How snow boarding shaped how his lens on design - Why design for social well-being matters - Measuring the impact of interventions  - How to create an inclusive process - The role of policy is making happy, healthy design a reality - Why and how to connect with local communities

Emily Anthes is an award-winning science journalist and author whose work has appeared in the New York Times, The New Yorker, Atlantic Wired, Nature, to name a few. Emily has a master's degree in science writing from MIT and a bachelor's degree in the history of science and medicine from Yale, where she also studied creative writing. Emily lives in Brooklyn, New York. In this episode, we discuss... Introduction [0:30] Earliest Memory of Architecture's Impact [02:10] How Emily Started Writing the Book [03:13] Link Between Public Health and the Built Environment Then, and Now [04:52] How Did Our Cities Get These Designs? [09:17] Shifting the Balance Back [11:50] Path to a More Inclusive and Universal Design [14:03] Why Did the Open Office Design Backfire? [18:08] It's all Just in Good Design [22:13] Bringing in More Permeability [24:44] Climate Resilience and The Social Fabric [25:33] Amphibious Housing [27:11] Top Recommendation to Design for Connection [27:50] Final Message [29:24] Where to Find Emily Anthes Website: http://emilyanthes.com/ Twitter: @EmilyAnthes Newsletter: https://emilyanthes.carrd.co/ Resources Mentioned The Great Indoors: The Surprising Science of How Buildings Shape Our Behavior, Health, and Happiness by Emily Anthes Amphibious Housing: An Innovative Approach to Seasonal Flood Mitigation for Vulnerable First Nations Communities by Ropel-Morski, Zachary, Elizabeth English, and Scott Turner About the Host Erin is an architect and design researcher bridging the gap between research and practice with a focus on design for health. She believes in the power of places to heal, connect, and serve vulnerable people — from hospital patients and staff, to people struggling with social isolation and mental health challenges. Erin is driven by a commitment to help others and the joy of working together to solve complex problems with shared purpose. Website: www.erinpeavey.com  Twitter: @erin_peavey LinkedIn: Erin K. Peavey Instagram: @design.for.health 

Katie Swenson is a nationally recognized design leader, researcher, writer, and educator, and a Senior Principal at MASS Design Group. Katie and I explore how love can be a power to transform the world. Katie shares how she has learned to think about and practice designing with love, and how designers can use love to help dismantle systemic injustices. “Talking about Love gives us clarity. Love and abuse, or love and racism, or love and discrimination, fundamentally cannot coexist.” - Katie Swenson 2:10 Katie shares her earliest memories of architecture, and her path to becoming an architect, writer and community development expert. 10:30 Katie's shares her process of discovery. She unpacks what she meant when, in Design with Love, she said, “I naively thought that design could be the answer … it was my mistake to think that design by itself could solve a problem, without recognizing that it takes people, joining together and using many tools, including design, to support their community ... I realized this job didn’t require me to be an expert, it required me to be humble and a facilitator”. 12:00 Katie and I discuss parallels to the Hippocratic Oath in architecture, and how we design for the betterment of society. 13:40 Katie shares what shaped her understanding of architecture and design's role in “dismantling systemic injustice rather than contributing to its perpetuation," a passage from her book. She shared lessons from her seminar with April De Simone, Undesign the Redline, and discusses historic injustices in urban and rural areas. 20:00 Katie shares what she thinks we are currently getting right and getting wrong when it comes to designing to dismantle systemic injustice. 24:30 Katie shares what she sees as the role of love in design and why it is so important. Sharing definitions from Bell Hooks All About Love, and Martin Luther King Jr.’s studies on the Beloved Community as an achievable aim. 29:40 Katie shares the example of Franklin Square in Baltimore, Maryland from her book, Design with Love. She shares the stories of the community and what they created. 37:00 Katie shares a very different type of love story and her experience suddenly losing her fiancé in May 2017, and the book that came from that experience, In Bohemia. 40:00 Katie shares her final takeaways around how we design for connection. I hope this episode can inspire and empower you to use Love and Design as forces for positive change. If you want to find out more about Katie and her work at MASS Design, Enterprise Communities, and more, check out the links below: Katie’s work at Enterprise Communities & The Rose Fellowship Katie’s work at MASS Design Group Katie’s book: Design with Love: At Home In America Katie’s book: In Bohemia: Memoir of Love, Loss, and Kindness Katie’s website