Community by Design: Exploring Social Infrastructure in Waterloo Region

Bonus Episode: Live from KPL

To celebrate the release of the Community Design Podcast, Midtown Radio partnered with the Waterloo Region Community Foundation and the Kitchener Public Library to host a community conversation on January 22nd, in the Kitchener Public Library (KPL) theater. Over 120 community members joined us for a conversation about the importance of social infrastructure in the Waterloo Region.  Host Danielle Deveau was joined by Jay Harrison, Producer and Host for Community by Design, Nathan Stretch, Senior Manager of Community Development and INsights at the Kitchener Public Library, and Jeyas Balaskanthan, Executive Director at the Uptown Waterloo BIA.  Here is a recording of the event, starting with an introduction from Eric Avner, President and CEO at the Waterloo Region Community Foundation.

Won’t You Be My Neighbour

As Waterloo Region grows toward one million people, this episode reveals why some of the most crucial social infrastructure isn't built from the top down, but grows from the ground up—where residents identify their own needs, youth are trusted as leaders today (not tomorrow), and neighborhoods become dense enough with connection to create a safety net for those who need it. Through conversations with a veteran community center director, and the cross-sector One Million Neighbours project, we discover how the neighborhood scale is the site of some of our most critical social infrastructure. THANKS TO OUR GUESTS Kim Fowler, Executive Director of Fiddlesticks Community Centre Chanelle Martin, Volunteer and Community Engagement Coordinator at Fiddlesticks Community Centre Sam Nabi, Coordinator of One Million Neighbours ADDITIONAL RESOURCES One Million Neighbours website [https://onemillionneighbours.ca/] Fiddlesticks website [https://www.fiddlesticks.ca/] Waterloo Region Community Foundation’s work on social infrastructure [https://www.wrcf.ca/socialinfrastructure] CREDITS Jay Harrison, Host/Producer/Editor Karyn Atkins, Writer/Reporter Deren Atkins, Editor David Harmes, Executive Producer/Engineer MUSIC  courtesy of Epidemic Sound [http://www.epidemicsound.com/] Main theme music - Rocket Jr: High Tech Transition music - Par Hagstrom: Snakes and Fire (Instrumental Version), and Loyae: Level Up,  Loving Caliber: Lose (Instrumental Version)  This show was made possible by the support of the Waterloo Region Community Foundation [https://www.wrcf.ca/].  Follow Midtown Radio for more local content @midtownradiokw [https://www.instagram.com/midtownradiokw/] midtownradio.ca [http://midtownradio.ca]  Download the Midtown Radio app [https://www.midtownradio.ca/download-our-app] to listen live and on-demand

Do You Hear What I Hear: Local Media

When a local newspaper investigation saves taxpayers hundreds of millions of dollars, it's more than just good journalism—it's infrastructure in action. In this episode, we explore how local media serves as part of the connective tissue of community life, from holding power accountable to helping you connect with the people in your community. But with over 600 news outlets closing across Canada since 2008, we ask: what happens when the ties that bind us together start to unravel? THANKS TO OUR GUESTS Mirko Petricevic, Chief Ink-stigator (co-ordinator) of Ink-stained wretches Irene Schmidt-Adeney, Writer at Ayr News Sue Foxton, Mayor of North Dumfries ADDITIONAL RESOURCES Resources for supporting local journalism [https://ink-stainedwretches.org/resources/] from the Ink-stained Wretches website Ayr News [https://www.ayrnews.ca/] CREDITS Jay Harrison, Host/Producer/Editor Karyn Atkins, Writer Deren Atkins, Editor David Harmes, Executive Producer/Engineer MUSIC  courtesy of Epidemic Sound [http://www.epidemicsound.com/] Main theme music - Rocket Jr: High Tech Transition music - Par Hagstrom: Snakes and Fire (Instrumental Version), and Loyae: Level Up This show was made possible by the support of the Waterloo Region Community Foundation [https://www.wrcf.ca/].  Follow Midtown Radio for more local content @midtownradiokw [https://www.instagram.com/midtownradiokw/] midtownradio.ca [http://midtownradio.ca]  Download the Midtown Radio app [https://www.midtownradio.ca/download-our-app] to listen live and on-demand

I Can Tell That We Are Going to Be Friends: Schools as Havens

From students organizing delegations at school board meetings to parents building audio libraries in 28 languages, this episode reveals the simple and profound ways that schools act as social infrastructure. In this episode, we meet Quinn, a high school student co-leading a local Gender Sexuality Alliance who knows that community can literally save lives, and Taarini, a parent who helped to create a program for connecting newcomer families across cultural and linguistic barriers at her children’s school. Through powerful conversations with education expert Laura Mae Lindo, we discover that schools aren't just buildings where learning happens—they're landing places where young people and families are creating havens of belonging, one story, one connection, one act of care at a time. THANKS TO OUR GUESTS Laura Mae Lindo, Assistant Professor of Philosophy and Director of Black Studies at the University of Waterloo Quinn Palmer, Student leader in the GSA at Waterloo Collegiate Institute Taarini Chopra, Parent at King Edward Public School ADDITIONAL RESOURCES Waterloo Region District School Board student census [https://www.wrdsb.ca/about-the-wrdsb/research/student-census/] CREDITS Jay Harrison, Host/Producer/Editor Karyn Atkins, Writer/Reporter Deren Atkins, Editor David Harmes, Executive Producer/Engineer MUSIC  courtesy of Epidemic Sound [http://www.epidemicsound.com/] Main theme music - Rocket Jr: High Tech Transition music - Par Hagstrom: Snakes and Fire (Instrumental Version), and Loyae: Level Up This show was made possible by the support of the Waterloo Region Community Foundation [https://www.wrcf.ca/].  Follow Midtown Radio for more local content @midtownradiokw [https://www.instagram.com/midtownradiokw/] midtownradio.ca [http://midtownradio.ca]  Download the Midtown Radio app [https://www.midtownradio.ca/download-our-app] to listen live and on-demand

Meet Me at the Square

Public squares have been gathering places for thousands of years, but do they truly serve everyone in today's increasingly diverse communities? This episode explores two very different town squares in Waterloo Region – Waterloo Town Square and the Gaslight District – to understand what makes these spaces work, revealing that while public squares can help people encounter difference, they don't automatically create belonging or deep understanding. Making them truly inclusive requires thoughtful design, intentional programming, and grappling with difficult questions about who belongs in public space. As our region grows toward one million people and housing becomes less affordable, these free gathering spaces aren't just nice to have - they're essential infrastructure for the human spirit. THANKS TO OUR GUESTS Ryan Lok, PhD Candidate at the University of Waterloo School of Planning Jeyas Balaskanthan, Executive Director of the Uptown Waterloo Business Improvement Area Scott Higgins, President of HIP Developments Sheri Roberts, City of Cambridge Councilor for Ward 2 ADDITIONAL RESOURCES Uptown Waterloo BIA [https://uptownwaterloobia.com/] Gaslight District [https://www.gaslightdistrict.ca/] CREDITS Jay Harrison, Host/Producer Karyn Atkins, Writer Deren Atkins, Editor Shrijith Ramaswami, Editor David Harmes, Executive Producer/Engineer MUSIC  courtesy of Epidemic Sound [http://www.epidemicsound.com/] Main theme music - Rocket Jr: High Tech Transition music - Par Hagstrom: Snakes and Fire (Instrumental Version), and Loyae: Level Up This show was made possible by the support of the Waterloo Region Community Foundation [https://www.wrcf.ca/].