The Joy Experiments: Reimagining Mid-sized Cities to Heal Our Divided Society

A new perspective on developing shared joy in urban spaces. Our divided society is quickly reaching crisis level. We are no longer able to sustain social and economic prosperity nor ensure democracy. Fuelling this crisis is a growing sense of social isolation caused by the divisive nature of social media and the decline of infrastructure that used to bring communities together. But there is hope for rebuilding our collaborative society, and it is found in our mid-sized urban areas. These towns and cities offer a scale that can tangibly change the quality of our lives and an intimacy that allows us to influence what our communities can become. Changing cities can change the world! , real estate developer Scott Higgins and creative mind Paul Kalbfleisch use their own mid-sized city-building experiences to present a new way for citizens to engage with their city, and an urban planning strategy that prioritizes infrastructure for the human spirit.

About the Author :
Scott Higgins is a passionate business and community builder who, as president of HIP Developments, Inc., plays a leadership role in the evolution of the Region of Waterloo in southern Ontario. He lives in Kitchener, Ontario. Paul Kalbfleisch is a writer, visual artist, business leader, and creative collaborator who places himself in the middle of projects that require strong vision and imaginative design. He lives in Waterloo, Ontario.

Review :
This book engages in new ways of thinking about designing cities and a future that might have a plausible relationship with the rest of life and the next generation. In The Joy Experiments, writer, visual artist, and business leader Paul Kalbfleisch and enlightened developer and city builder Scott Higgins invite us into their intimate extended conversation about how to make urban places that are welcoming, sustainable and inclusive but most of all joyful. It features their hometown Cambridge, Ontario, which also serves a stand-in for the remarkable capacity of mid-sized cities to tap the power of community. Touching on all the things we sense intuitively in language which is clear, jargon-free and persuasive and enlivened by Sarah Farquhar’s evocative illustrations, it is a delightful instructive read. The Joy Experiments gives us insight into what might be possible at this pivotal moment in city building by laying out a compelling case that human joy should be seen as a practical objective for cities. The book takes a hard look at the current challenges to community, yet paints an optimistic path forward. This is a very different but thoughtful book, told in a conversational style suited for future podcasts to keep the conversation about how to help cities discover and sustain joie de vivre.