Meet Me at the Square

Public squares have been gathering places for thousands of years, but do they truly serve everyone in today's increasingly diverse communities? This episode explores two very different town squares in Waterloo Region – Waterloo Town Square and the Gaslight District – to understand what makes these spaces work, revealing that while public squares can help people encounter difference, they don't automatically create belonging or deep understanding. Making them truly inclusive requires thoughtful design, intentional programming, and grappling with difficult questions about who belongs in public space. As our region grows toward one million people and housing becomes less affordable, these free gathering spaces aren't just nice to have - they're essential infrastructure for the human spirit.THANKS TO OUR GUESTSRyan Lok, PhD Candidate at the University of Waterloo School of PlanningJeyas Balaskanthan, Executive Director of the Uptown Waterloo Business Improvement AreaScott Higgins, President of HIP DevelopmentsSheri Roberts, City of Cambridge Councilor for Ward 2ADDITIONAL RESOURCESUptown Waterloo BIAGaslight DistrictCREDITSJay Harrison, Host/ProducerKaryn Atkins, WriterDeren Atkins, EditorShrijith Ramaswami, EditorDavid Harmes, Executive Producer/EngineerMUSIC courtesy of Epidemic SoundMain theme music - Rocket Jr: High TechTransition music - Par Hagstrom: Snakes and Fire (Instrumental Version), and Loyae: Level UpThis show was made possible by the support of the Waterloo Region Community Foundation.