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 citiesA conversation about a simple but powerful idea: the places we build shape the relationships we build.