Creating CommUNITY: Calculating Chance Encounters using Tech

Placemaking is on the rise and has the potential to boost local economies, increase neighbourhood safety and accessibility, help reduce loneliness and social isolation, and create trust while bridging the gap between citizens and city builders.

Canada’s housing crisis has emphasized the urgent need to densify many of our urban areas and increase the number of housing units built, but how do we ensure that we are also creating vibrant, inclusive, and complete communities in the process? 

What is a Community?

A community can generally be defined as a group of people who share common characteristics or interests. These groups all have something in common, whether it’s their values, goals, interests, their sense of self or identity, which unites them together. Members feel a part of these communities, and their belonging in these communities defines aspects of who they are as individuals (think, academic community, religious community, scientific community, etc).  

There is also another type of community that often gets mixed in with the others: a geographic community. This is the type of community that city builders are directly involved in, forming its shape, layout, and function through policies, plans, and reports. The primary shared characteristic between members of this type of community is the geographic boundary within which they live, but this does not guarantee that they will have any other values or goals in common or possess a common identity. Physically they are a part of the community, but socially they may feel isolated from each other. Lacking a sense of community may inhibit residents’ sense of belonging and creation of social ties, which are crucial in the natural development of a lively and engaged community.

City builders create geographic communities.

The increased pace of life of the 21st century and reliance on technology has stifled many opportunities for citizens to organically engage with their surroundings and neighbours as generations had done before. Pedestrians are walking up to 15% faster and spending half the time lingering in public spaces as they did 30 years ago, according to a recent MIT study. Social isolation and loneliness are widespread in communities worldwide, which were further emphasized by the impacts of the Covid-19 pandemic (WHO, 2025). These factors are affecting the ways that citizens experience their communities, their physical and mental health, and the quality and longevity of life.

Social isolation and loneliness are widespread.

Building housing in a geographic location and calling it a community is one thing, but building housing and creating opportunities for meaningful social connections is what lays the foundation for truly vibrant and thriving communities. Social connections between residents often create a sense of shared values and responsibilities, and help to create unique identities for these neighbourhoods that make them stand out as exceptional places to live, work, and play in.

Public Space Revitalization Through Placemaking

Neighbourhoods new and old can benefit from placemaking principles to revitalize their shared community spaces and encourage social connections. This community-based approach capitalizes on local assets, inspiration, and potential, and results in the creation of quality public spaces that positively contribute to people’s health, happiness, and wellbeing. Community engagement is at the centre of this movement, focusing on urban design and public realm improvements, and implementing both short- and long-term revitalization strategies.