Webinars

Thoughtful design and programming

As Canadian cities densify, multi-unit housing is becoming a dominant form for many – if not most – households. These housing types, however, sometimes offer lower levels of connection between neighbours and a reduced feeling of community. This is not a minor issue: our connections with neighbours – and with our immediate neighbourhood – impact our health in significant and measurable ways. 

But multi-unit housing is not inherently isolating: thoughtful design and programming can help to build community, neighbourly connections and resilience. Great examples exist but they are too often the exception, not the rule. 

This webinar series explores the designs, tools, and paradigms that planners and housing professionals can use to ensure denser housing also supports community resilience and social connection.

A team of people stand painting an outside mural at Westridge.

Webinars and recaps

Webinar Recap: Design tools to support wellbeing in multi-unit housing with Happy Cities and Hey Neighbour Collective

An illustrated graphic to promote the Happy Cities and Hey Neighbour Collective webinar about the Building Social Connections toolkit.

On October 3rd, 2024, Hey Neighbour Collective hosted Housing That Connects Us #4: Design Tools to Support Wellbeing, as part of the year-long Building Social…

Untangling the affordability puzzle with Happy Cities and Chesterman Properties: webinar recap

Group photo of Michelle Hoar, Robert Brown, and Madeleine Hebert in the third 'Housing that Connects Us webinar' joining by Zoom.

Resources, recordings, presentations, and notable moments from the third in our ‘Housing That Connects Us’ webinar series.

Join the next ‘Housing That Connects Us’ webinar: The Affordability Puzzle

Illustrated graphic for the 'Housing That Connects Us: The affordability puzzle' webinar event.

The third in a three-part webinar series, ‘Housing That Connects Us: The affordability puzzle’ will hear from guest speakers on sociable design for multi-unit housing…

Webinar recap: Housing that Connects Us #2, a conversation with UK innovators

Group photo of the participants in the webinar joining by Zoom.

A round-up featuring video, slides, quotes and other resources.

Webinar recap: Housing That Connects Us

A montage of slide decks including profile photos of Michelle Hoar, Laura Chow, and Madeleine Hebert.

Please enjoy our round-up from the webinar, including a video, slides and other resources, along with a snapshot of a few of the most notable…

Webinar recap: Social Sustainability in Multi-Unit Housing 

Headshots of speakers, and slide deck cover images of the presenters, from the CMHC webinar on March 1.

On March 1st, Hey Neighbour Collective (HNC) and CMHC co-hosted a webinar entitled ‘Social Sustainability in Multi-Unit Housing.’ A diverse audience, including local and federal…

Mainstreaming socially connected, affordable multi-unit housing across British Columbia

Mainstreaming socially connected affordable housing illustration with people interacting with each other in the city scape..

On September 16, Hey Neighbour Collective and Happy Cities co-hosted an online workshop to explore cultural, financial, and policy-level challenges to building socially connected, affordable multi-unit…

Video: Building community into the bottom line

Webinar recording with logos from partners and some people talking on Zoom.

On June 22nd, Hey Neighbour Collective and co-hosts Happy City, Concert Properties and SFU Morris J Wosk Centre for Dialogue held a panel and webinar…

A summary of Being Kind: How much sociability matters

Being Kind webinar thumbnail

Panelists brought ideas, evidence and stories from their practice and research on what is at stake for the common humanity of our cities as we…