Episode 16: Charles Montgomery (Author) — Happy Cities, Trust & the Design of Belonging

Can the places we live actually make us trust each other more? Naomi sits down with Charles Montgomery — journalist, author of Happy City, founder of Happy Cities, and author of the new book The Trust Experiments: Rebuilding Connection in a World Designed to Divide Us. More than a decade after Happy City, Charles explores how cities shape not just our happiness, but our relationships with one another — and why housing, public spaces, screens, transportation, and even the people we encounter every day can influence whether we feel connected or alone. In this episode: • How cities shape happiness and belonging • Why affordability affects connection • Density, housing and the right social scale • How screens and cities can deepen isolation • Why public spaces can build social trust • How young people can help reshape their cities A conversation about a simple but powerful idea: the places we build shape the relationships we build.