Happitecture Podcast

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...

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: ht...

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 m...

In this episode of the Happitecture Podcast , we sit down with Dr. Troy Glover, a leading researcher in placemaking and its profound impact on social connectedness, wellbeing, and community life. Dr. Glover is the Director of the Healthy Communities Research Network at the University of Waterloo and has dedicated his career to understanding how the built environment fosters (or hinders) meaningful...

This episode hits at the heart of what inclusion really means – dignity for all. I sit down with Brad McCannell, Vice President of the Rick Hansen Foundation to get at the root of it. His life and journey to making spaces accessible for all. From exploring physical and mental barriers to access to how the best accessible design is invisible. Brad’s perspective is deep, thoughtful and resonates at...

This episode explores some key “out of the box” thinking when considering workplace design post pandemic. ‘What if the office was a club with a specific purpose and mission that we all share in? If your office was a club, and it was a blank slate, what would you do? What kind of activities would you have?’ Would we be happier, more innovative, more creative and yes, even more productive? Join me a...

In recognition of Open Education Week, we welcome Rajiv Jhangiani, associate president of Kwantlen Polytechnic University in British Columbia. He's also the co founder of the Open Pedagogy Notebook that serves in the BC Open Education Advisory Committee. Rajiv has written and/ or co-edited a number of books, including "Open: The Philosophy and Practices That Are Revolutionizing Education and Scien...

This fascinating chat with Dr. June Francis explores what it means to "belong"; an historical context of Hogan's Alley; and being Black in Canada.  Join our conversation as we explore the potential of decolonization to build happy, inclusive and resilient spaces and communities.  (this episode was unfortunately cut short due to technical difficulties. But we promise to have Dr. Francis b...

I'm delighted to chat with my dear friend, mentor, bridge builder and change maker Amil Reddy. Amil has worked with organization such as Mountain Equipment Co-op to help them navigate and align their values with Equity, Inclusivity and Diversity. Join me on this wonderful journey of self identification, shifting perspectives and how we can become change leaders and bridge builders in our own commu...

This month's episode is part 2 of 2 of a conversation with architect Derek Lee at the Olympic Village - one of his most popular projects. Derek is a principal at PWL Partnership and a LEED® Accredited Landscape Architect with over twenty years of experience across North America, Asia, the United Kingdom, and the Middle East. Serving as the creative lead on design teams at PWL, Derek focuses on inn...

This month's episode is part 1 of 2 of a conversation with architect Derek Lee at the Olympic Village - one of his most popular projects. Derek is a principal at PWL Partnership and a LEED® Accredited Landscape Architect with over twenty years of experience across North America, Asia, the United Kingdom, and the Middle East. Serving as the creative lead on design teams at PWL, Derek focuses on inn...

In this episode, I sit down with Vancouver’s premier Feng Shui Master and Teacher Marlyna Los to discuss how Feng Shui can play an important role in how we plan communities and cities. Marlyna describes the energies of the City of Vancouver based on its particular geography. We discuss the principles one can employ when designing healthy, resilient communities as an approach to combating the attit...

In this episode, I sit down with facilitator and convener Jocelyn Macdougall to talk about how we engage organizations and communities to examine the systems we take for granted. How these systems, often designed to marginalize large groups in our community, can be challenged for the betterment of everyone. Jocelyn has worked with organizations and communities to develop a new paradigm for how we...

In this very first episode of Happitecture, I discuss city planning initiatives with Senior Public Space Planner at the City of Vancouver – Danielle Wiley. We chat about the city’s mandate to design inclusive public spaces to advance healthy and inclusive public life. Happitecture is a podcast that explores our unique cities and what it takes to build resilient and thriving communities that are in...