Happitecture Podcast

About Happitecture Podcast

Happitecture is a podcast that explores our unique cities and what it takes to build resilient and thriving communities that are inclusive, supportive, and promote wellbeing and happiness. Join us as we chat with some of Vancouver’s brightest minds in planning and urban design, community facilitation, design, social sciences, and community activists and discuss ideas on how to plan and design vibrant, happy built environments.

Publisher

Michelle Fenton

Category

society & culture

Language

en

Explicit

No

First episode

2 Oct 2020

Latest episode

19 Dec 2025

Latest episodes

14 episodes in the feed.

1. 

   19 Dec 2025

   Fierce Tenderness: Designing for Belonging, Systems Change, and the More-than-Human World

   In this soulful and wide-ranging episode, Michelle sits down with Zahra Ebrahim to explore how design, care, and community come together in the work of systems transformation. Zahra is a designer, strategist, and orchestrator who has dedicated her career to centering equity and public imagination in the built environment. As co-founder of Monumental Projects, she leads initiatives that shift power, reframe participation, and challenge the status quo of urban development. Together, they discuss everything from design as a form of joy and grief, to the evolution of Zahra's identity as a "weaver" across disciplines, to new frontiers in acknowledging the rights of the more-than-human world. This episode is a rich meditation on how we can show up more fully, lead with care, and reimagine what cities (and citizenship) can be. What We Talk About: How Zahra’s early feelings of not "fitting" shaped her interdisciplinary approach The tension between completion and emergence in design and facilitation Creating care cultures within projects and teams The journey from ego-led to community-led design What it means to be a weaver, orchestrator, and space-maker Joy, magic, and humility in community-engaged work Scaling belonging from the self to systems Systems change, stakeholder engagement, and shifting institutional mindsets Giving voice to the more-than-human world in urban planning Rights of nature, Indigenous worldviews, and legal personhood of rivers How noticing and slowness can build empathy and resilience Zahra's Everyday Practice Tip "Invest in your local unit of survival." Get to know your neighbors. Not just their names—but their needs, joys, and stories. When crisis comes, it's those micro-relational webs that make a difference. Books & References Mentioned Messy Cities (edited collection with essay by Kite) https://chbooks.com/Books/M/Messy-Cities (https://chbooks.com/Books/M/Messy-Cities) Braiding Sweetgrass by Robin Wall Kimmerer https://www.robinwallkimmerer.com/books (https://www.robinwallkimmerer.com/books) Is the River Alive? by Robert Macfarlane https://www.penguinrandomhouse.ca/books/724830/is-a-river-alive-by-robert-macfarlane/9781039007956 (https://www.penguinrandomhouse.ca/books/724830/is-a-river-alive-by-robert-macfarlane/9781039007956) Work of Suzanne Kite (Concordia University) https://www.concordia.ca/finearts/about/galleries-venues/fofa-gallery/exhibitions/2023/suzanne-kite.html (https://www.concordia.ca/finearts/about/galleries-venues/fofa-gallery/exhibitions/2023/suzanne-kite.html) Rights of Nature Movement Connect with Zahra Ebrahim Website: www.monumentalprojects.ca (http://www.monumentalprojects.ca/) LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/zahraebrahim (https://www.linkedin.com/in/zahraebrahim) Learn More about Happitecture For more episodes, resources, and events, visit: www.happitecture.com (http://www.happitecture.com/) Follow us on Instagram & LinkedIn @Happitecture Thanks for listening! If you enjoyed this episode, please subscribe, rate, and share with your community. Let’s design places—and lives—that bring us joy.

2. 

   14 Nov 2025

   Queer As Funk on Collective Joy, Belonging, and the Power of Music to Create Space

   In this episode of The Happitecture Podcast, Michelle sits down with Vancouver’s own Queer As Funk — a band that transforms concerts into spaces of belonging and collective joy. Together, they explore how music can act as placemaking, the milestones that affirmed their impact, and their vision for inclusive performance spaces of the future. References: Vancouver LGBTQ Band | Queer As Funk: https://www.queerasfunk.com/ (https://www.queerasfunk.com/) Pink Pony Club: https://www.google.com/search?q=pink+pony+club (https://www.google.com/search?q=pink+pony+club) For more information on this, or any other episodes of the Happitecture Podcast, you can find us at ⁠⁠https://www.happitecture.com⁠⁠ (https://www.happitecture.com). Thanks to our sponsor Khora Architecture + Interiors ⁠⁠https://www.khoradesign.ca/ (https://www.khoradesign.ca/)

3. 

   29 Jul 2025

   Restoring Place, Restoring Power: The Reimagining of Hogan’s Alley

   In this deeply resonant episode of Happitecture, host Michelle Fenton sits down with Djaka Blais, Executive Director of Hogan’s Alley Society, to explore how architecture and urban planning can be tools for restorative justice. Together, they trace the erasure and revival of Vancouver’s only historically Black neighborhood—Hogan’s Alley—and reflect on the power of community-led design, cultural memory, and Black futures grounded in joy. From negotiating with institutions to reimagining a city block as a living archive of culture and care, this conversation is a masterclass in what it means to design for belonging. Topics Covered: Spatial justice and community restoration Black-led planning and anti-displacement strategies Designing for joy, cultural specificity, and belonging Negotiating with institutions as a community leader Visioning Hogan’s Alley as a thriving cultural hub References: Hogan’s Alley Society: https://www.hogansalleysociety.org/ (https://www.hogansalleysociety.org/) For more information on this, or any other episodes of the Happitecture Podcast, you can find us at ⁠https://www.happitecture.com⁠ (https://www.happitecture.com). Thanks to our sponsor Khora Architecture + Interiors ⁠https://www.khoradesign.ca/ (https://www.khoradesign.ca/)

4. 

   23 Apr 2025

   Placemaking and Wellbeing: The Social Life of Public Spaces

   Dr. Troy Glover, Director of the Healthy Communities Research Network, discusses how placemaking impacts wellbeing, social connectedness, and community life in an interview, revealing how design shapes social interactions.

5. 

   9 Aug 2023

   Inclusion Through Universal Design

   Brad McCannell of the Rick Hansen Foundation discusses universal design and its impact on creating inclusive spaces that prioritize dignity and remove physical and mental barriers in an interview with the host.

6. 

   20 Jul 2022

   The Workplace Paradigm Shift

   Samantha Sannella, Managing Director at Cushman Wakefield, discusses the exciting paradigm shift in workplace design post-pandemic with the host in an interview.

7. 

   2 Mar 2022

   Open Education and democratise learning.

   Rajiv Jhangiani discusses the Open Education movement and its potential to democratize learning in this interview episode.

8. 

   17 Feb 2022

   Building Belonging

   Dr. June Francis discusses the meaning of belonging, Hogan's Alley's history, and the Black experience in Canada, examining decolonization's potential for inclusive communities in this interview.

9. 

   1 Feb 2022

   Bridge Building Begins with YOU

   Amil Reddy discusses building bridges within communities and organizations by aligning values with equity, inclusivity, and diversity, offering insights into becoming change leaders; this is an interview with the host.

10. 

    1 Mar 2021

    Designing Public Space - Part 2/2

    Architect Derek Lee discusses innovative placemaking and urban design strategies that improve public health and quality of life, showcasing his experience across various international projects in this interview.

11. 

    1 Feb 2021

    Designing Public Space - Part 1/2

    Architect Derek Lee discusses his work designing public spaces, specifically the Olympic Village project, and shares insights on innovative placemaking and urban design to improve people's health in this interview.

12. 

    1 Dec 2020

    Feng Shui

    Feng Shui Master Marlyna Los explains to the host how Feng Shui principles influence community and city planning, especially in Vancouver, for designing healthy and resilient spaces in this interview.

13. 

    1 Nov 2020

    Movement Building

    Facilitator Jocelyn Macdougall discusses engaging organizations and communities to examine and challenge marginalizing systems, ultimately building movements toward a more inclusive society in this interview with the host.

14. 

    2 Oct 2020

    Inclusive Public Spaces

    Michelle Fenton interviews Danielle Wiley, Senior Public Space Planner, about Vancouver's city planning initiatives and designing inclusive public spaces to promote healthy public life.

Who has been a guest on Happitecture Podcast

Names identified in recent episode analyses. Showing up to five guests.

• Dr Troy Glover
• Brad McCannell
• Samantha Sannella
• Rajiv Jhangiani
• Dr June Francis

Reach and audience

Public platform figures. Ratings count people who left a rating, not total listeners.

Apple Podcasts (US)

5.0 / 5

1 ratings

Podcast Authority Score: 11 / 100

A composite of feed quality, social presence, YouTube performance and engagement. Read the methodology.

Quality

21

Social presence

0

YouTube

0

Engagement

0

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Guest appearances

Books guests

Based on episode analysis; this does not confirm that the show is currently accepting guests.

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