Why Strong Communities Don’t Happen by Accident

Why Strong Communities Don’t Happen by Accident

From The Missing Middle Podcast by Cara Stern, Mike Moffatt, and Meredith Martin

June 5, 2026 · 22 min · Season 1 · Episode 182

About this episode

The episode discusses the decline of community in Canada and explores ways to rebuild it through various social spaces and urban design.

Why does modern life feel so disconnected? In this episode, Cara Stern sits down with journalist and Scout leader Harrison Lowman to talk about the decline of community in Canada, and what it takes to rebuild it. From scouting and volunteering to neighbourhood pubs, churches, and “third spaces,” they explore why strong communities don’t happen automatically, how urban design shapes social connection, and why so many people feel isolated despite living closer together than ever before. They al...

People in this episode

Host: Cara Stern

Guest: Harrison Lowman

Topics covered

  • community
  • urban design
  • social connection
  • isolation
  • volunteering
  • scouting

Keywords

  • community decline
  • urban design
  • social connection
  • isolation
  • volunteering
  • scouting
  • third spaces

Mentioned in this episode

Places: Canada

More episodes of The Missing Middle Podcast

Explore listener stats, chart rankings, contacts and more on the The Missing Middle Podcast podcast page.