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.