Happiness of the Commons

Alanna de Boer & Katie McLean

A podcast on community

Episodes

  1. 6d ago

    Episode 4: The Sidewalk Ballet & Fostering Community in the Suburbs

    Katie and Alanna explore the concept of "The Sidewalk Ballet" in neighbourhoods like Brooklyn, NY and the very famous neighbourhood of their dreams: Sesame Street. They explore building community in the suburbs, and share some creators to check out to learn more on this topic. 99% Invisible U is for Urbanism episode Music Produced by Mason Jay

    24 min

  2. May 18

    Episode 3: The Impact of Housing on Community

    In this episode, Alanna and Katie discuss how housing structures impact community. Using Katie’s recent move and Calgary’s contentious rezoning public hearing, they explore how car dependency adds major hidden costs, limits access to schools, groceries, coffee shops, and transit, and contributes to loneliness. They connect housing to transit investment, safety for kids, and walkable design, and highlight testimony from seniors and disability advocates who want to downsize or access care without losing the community connections they have in their neighborhoods. Link to Alanna's presentation at council. Link to Stephanie's (disability advocate) presentation at council hearing on repealing rezoning for housing. Loneliness Health Impacts https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC5831910/ Music produced by Mason Jay

    32 min

  3. May 4

    Episode 2: Exploring Community Leadership

    What do community leaders look like? What do they do for us? How can we support them? Katie and Alanna explore these questions and more in this episode. They discuss community builders, activists, artists, and disability advocates as a few examples, and discuss practical ways we can all support leaders who make things happen. Music Produced by Mason Jay

    57 min

  4. Apr 20

    Episode 1: The Antithesis of Tragedy of the Commons

    Alanna and Katie explore some ways you can build community and be in networks of support. They explore the difference between friendships and community, and touch on a few systemic factors that either foster or limit community connection. Instagram @HappyCommonsPod Tragedy of the commons https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tragedy_of_the_commons Micro interactions https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/british-columbia/micro-relationships-and-talking-to-strangers-1.7636486 The little book of Lykke https://www.indigo.ca/en-ca/the-little-book-of-lykke-the-danish-search-for-the-worlds-happiest-people/9780735234895.html https://calgary.bibliocommons.com/v2/record/S95C1176428 Katie's Quiche recipe 1 frozen pie shell4 large eggs3/4 cup (120ml) milk or cream1/4 teaspoon each salt and pepper1 cup shredded or crumbled cheese (feta or cheddar are my go-tos)up to 2 cups veggies or protein (spinach, tomato, broccoli, asparagus, ham, green onion, bacon etc) Fill the pie shell with your add-ins and cheese. Mix the egg and milk in a bowl, and pour into the pie shell until full. Give it a gentle stir to mix in the shell. Bake at 350 for 45 minutes - check that the centre is set. Fits perfectly in a freezer bag to freeze for a friend - make 2 at a time for maximum sharing potential! Music produced by Mason Jay

    51 min

  5. Apr 6

    Introduction: The Inconvenience of Community

    Who are we and what do we care about? In this intro, we give a peek into these questions and explore some of the topics we want to dive into deeper in future episodes. Parenting, the inconvenience of community, connecting with neighbours, and some of the health benefits of community are addressed. Instagram @HappyCommonsPod --- The Power of Connection | Alzheimer Society of Ontario https://share.google/1IZEaq87hCKt7vsjr Music produced by Mason Jay Mentioned in this episode: Music Produced by Mason Jay

    26 min

  6. Apr 2

    Trailer: Introducing, Happiness of the Commons

    Katie McLean, Registered Provisional Psychologist and Alanna deBoer, Urban development nerd explore the intersections between psychology, well-being, and our built environments, and how community touches every aspect of our lives. Instagram: @HappyCommonsPod

    1 min
  • 6 Episodes

About

A podcast on community

Information

  • Creator
    Alanna de Boer & Katie McLean
  • Years Active
    2K
  • Episodes
    6
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © Copyright 2026 Alanna de Boer & Katie McLean
  • Show Website
    Happiness of the Commons

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