Blog: Exploring the Power of Place: Reflections on Hubs, Havens, and Hangouts
On May 7, I had the privilege of hosting Waterloo Region Community Foundation (WRCF)’s latest Do More Good Dialogue: Hubs, Havens, and Hangouts: Where Social Interactions Are Made Tangible. Over the course of an hour, we explored a framework that WRCF has been using to better understand the ways public spaces help foster meaningful connections — part of what we call social infrastructure.
Our keynote speaker, Eamon O’Connor of Gehl Studio, shared the studio’s research on the importance of designing communities with a network of gathering spaces. We were also joined by three remarkable panelists: Oluseun Olayinka of Adventure4Change, Lisa Stocco of the Grand River Conservation Authority (GRCA), and Nathan Stretch of Kitchener Public Library — each of whom brought rich, local insights to the conversation.
Gehl Studio’s work offers a useful lens for understanding the different roles that public spaces can play in a healthy, connected community. They describe three types of spaces that, together, support strong social infrastructure:
Havens – spaces where people gather and bond around shared identity
Hubs – spaces where people connect and bridge across differences
Hangouts – spaces where anyone can simply be: to rest, linger, and enjoy
Some places serve one of these functions; others offer two or all three. Either way, this trio of space types helps us think more intentionally about how to design for belonging.
While we had an engaging and wide-ranging discussion, an hour wasn’t nearly enough time to address the thoughtful and sometimes challenging questions that came in through the chat. Here are just a few of them:
When creating new hubs, havens, or hangouts, how can we recognize the historical context of the land and honour the Indigenous peoples who originally lived there?
Public spaces aren’t equally safe or welcoming for everyone. How can we design in ways that address who feels truly at ease in these environments?
What happens when havens — spaces meant for bonding — become exclusive or even harmful?
How might technology enhance social connectivity within physical spaces?
What role can faith communities play in sharing their spaces as part of the broader social infrastructure?
Is media itself a form of social infrastructure? What is its role in facilitating connection and belonging?
Clearly, there’s more to explore. That’s why we’ll be looking to partner with local organizations to explore additional sessions to continue the conversations. Keep an eye on our social media channels for updates on any upcoming events and dialogues.
In the meantime, I encourage you to watch the webinar recording on our website or dive into the Gehl Studio report. And if you have a question or idea to add to the conversation, I’d love to hear from you. Send your thoughts my way — we’ll be weaving them into our ongoing work.
Thanks for continuing to build community in this place we call home.
Eric Avner
WRCF President & CEO
eric@wrcf.ca