Happiness of the Commons

Episode 11: The Beauty of The Buy Nothing Project

Mon, 05 Oct 2026 03:30:00 -0600

The Buy Nothing Project calls itself the world’s largest free-goods platform, is transforming how people consume. In this episode, Katie shares why she loves the Buy Nothing initiative, and shares ideas for how to get involved in your local sharing economy.

How to get involved:

The Buy Nothing platform includes Buy Nothing Facebook groups and the Buy Nothing app, available on iOS, Android, and the web.

References

The Buy Nothing, Get Everything Book

Study shows that knowing as few of 6 neighbours improves sense of belonging

Music Produced by Mason Jay

Episode 10: What is a bike bus?

Mon, 21 Sep 2026 04:00:00 -0600

You've probably heard Alanna reference Bike Bus in past episodes. Today's mini episode gets into what a bike bus is, how to start one, and some independence wins we've seen since starting our bike bus.

Resources

Bike Bus World

Velo Canada Bikes Panel

Episode 9: When your city's infrastructure fails you.

Mon, 31 Aug 2026 04:00:00 -0600

Alanna shares her story of a biking accident that flipped her summer upside down. She shares what happened, how she has leaned on her community, and a few infrastructure considerations to improve safe transportation

References

What is 5A?

What are Bird and Lime Scooters

Episode 8: Is Introversion a Scapegoat?

Mon, 03 Aug 2026 02:00:00 -0600

In this solo episode, Katie explores the ways the term "Introvert" gets scapegoated as a way to excuse the habit of declining invites and staying home for the sake of ease and comfort. She brings in her Psychology lens, with discussions about habit formation, social anxiety, avoidance, and the benefits of showing up.

References

Christabel Mintah-Galloway https://www.instagram.com/p/DZX6InHGoYA/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link&igsh=MzRlODBiNWFlZA==

Episode 7: Community for Teens and Parents of Teens

Mon, 13 Jul 2026 02:45:00 -0600

Alanna and Katie chat about community building for teens. They chat about the benefits of volunteering for teens, opportunities like youth groups and guides, and how adults can be positive mentors to teens.

References

Survey published in 2020

The Anxious Generation

Wait until 8th

Music produced by Mason Jay

Episode 6: Community for School-Aged Kids and their Parents

Mon, 29 Jun 2026 03:00:00 -0600

Alanna and Katie chat about safetyism, some of the potential reasons "kids don't go outside anymore", and explore the benefits of fostering independence so kids can forge their own community spaces.

Music produced by Mason Jay

Episode 5: Community in the Postpartum Period

Mon, 15 Jun 2026 03:30:00 -0600

Have you ever thought about where you go for support first? Is it your real life network, or is it your online network?

In this episode we explore the ways support is needed in the postpartum period, the way our culture tells us to seek expertise over community care, and chat about the concept of "paying for the village".

Mentions

@thisfamilytree

@kidswhoexplore

Music by Mason Jay

Episode 4: The Sidewalk Ballet & Fostering Community in the Suburbs

Mon, 01 Jun 2026 04:00:00 -0600

Katie and Alanna explore the concept of "The Sidewalk Ballet" in neighbourhoods like Brooklyn, NY and the very famous neighbourhood of their dreams: Sesame Street.

They explore building community in the suburbs, and share some creators to check out to learn more on this topic.

99% Invisible U is for Urbanism episode

Music Produced by Mason Jay

Episode 3: The Impact of Housing on Community

Mon, 18 May 2026 02:30:00 -0600

In this episode, Alanna and Katie discuss how housing structures impact community. Using Katie’s recent move and Calgary’s contentious rezoning public hearing, they explore how car dependency adds major hidden costs, limits access to schools, groceries, coffee shops, and transit, and contributes to loneliness. They connect housing to transit investment, safety for kids, and walkable design, and highlight testimony from seniors and disability advocates who want to downsize or access care without losing the community connections they have in their neighborhoods.

Link to Alanna's presentation at council.

Link to Stephanie's (disability advocate) presentation at council hearing on repealing rezoning for housing.

Loneliness Health Impacts

https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC5831910/

Music produced by Mason Jay

Episode 2: Exploring Community Leadership

Mon, 04 May 2026 02:30:00 -0600

What do community leaders look like? What do they do for us? How can we support them?

Katie and Alanna explore these questions and more in this episode. They discuss community builders, activists, artists, and disability advocates as a few examples, and discuss practical ways we can all support leaders who make things happen.

Music Produced by Mason Jay

Episode 1: The Antithesis of Tragedy of the Commons

Mon, 20 Apr 2026 02:30:00 -0600

Alanna and Katie explore some ways you can build community and be in networks of support. They explore the difference between friendships and community, and touch on a few systemic factors that either foster or limit community connection.

Instagram

@HappyCommonsPod

Tragedy of the commons

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tragedy_of_the_commons

Micro interactions

https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/british-columbia/micro-relationships-and-talking-to-strangers-1.7636486

The little book of Lykke

https://www.indigo.ca/en-ca/the-little-book-of-lykke-the-danish-search-for-the-worlds-happiest-people/9780735234895.html

https://calgary.bibliocommons.com/v2/record/S95C1176428

Katie's Quiche recipe

1 frozen pie shell
4 large eggs
3/4 cup (120ml) milk or cream
1/4 teaspoon each salt and pepper
1 cup shredded or crumbled cheese (feta or cheddar are my go-tos)
up to 2 cups veggies or protein (spinach, tomato, broccoli, asparagus, ham, green onion, bacon etc)

Fill the pie shell with your add-ins and cheese. Mix the egg and milk in a bowl, and pour into the pie shell until full. Give it a gentle stir to mix in the shell. Bake at 350 for 45 minutes - check that the centre is set. Fits perfectly in a freezer bag to freeze for a friend - make 2 at a time for maximum sharing potential!

Music produced by Mason Jay

Introduction: The Inconvenience of Community

Mon, 06 Apr 2026 00:15:00 -0600

Who are we and what do we care about? In this intro, we give a peek into these questions and explore some of the topics we want to dive into deeper in future episodes. Parenting, the inconvenience of community, connecting with neighbours, and some of the health benefits of community are addressed.

Instagram

@HappyCommonsPod

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The Power of Connection | Alzheimer Society of Ontario https://share.google/1IZEaq87hCKt7vsjr

Music produced by Mason Jay

Mentioned in this episode:

Music Produced by Mason Jay

Trailer: Introducing, Happiness of the Commons

Thu, 02 Apr 2026 12:40:00 -0600

Katie McLean, Registered Provisional Psychologist and Alanna deBoer, Urban development nerd explore the intersections between psychology, well-being, and our built environments, and how community touches every aspect of our lives.

Instagram: @HappyCommonsPod