Disrupting traditional city-building strategies with JOY

It’s a well-documented fact we’re entering the “age of the city”. The economic, social, and environmental changes sweeping through society are often felt most viscerally in our cities and there’s a growing expectation that cities will be the source of solutions.

This is a fundamental shift and one that many cities are not prepared for, as they struggle to move beyond business-as-usual problem-solving processes that rely on the conventional infrastructure of engineering functionality and efficiency.

The future calls for change and that starts with a new narrative—a fresh perspective that views our cities as more than just a place to live and work but as the habitat for the human spirit, that source of inclusion, resilience, tolerance, and invention. Changing how we look at cities unlocks the creative thinking, initiative and boldness that stem from joy and create the vibrant communities we need.

And when we change cities, we change the world.

About

I’m a writer, speaker and consultant on new city-building strategies that move beyond traditional quality-of-life measures to prioritizing the economic, social, and environmental benefits of infrastructure for the human spirit found in joyful cities.

I also co-wrote, along with real estate developer Scott Higgins, The Joy Experiments: Starting A New Conversation On City Building. Based on our own work in Waterloo Region, Canada’s Technology Triangle, consider this a new playbook for modern cities and your invitation to join us in a journey towards more joyful, productive, and vibrant communities.

Prior to my work in cities, I enjoyed a career in brand strategy where I focused on understanding how trends, social change, and culture work. I took that knowledge and used it to shape brands—some of which such as BlackBerry, helped shape the world and society we live in today.

In 2013, I went out on my own, merging my old love of pop culture, art, and strategic thinking, with my new love of cities.

Today, I remain committed to helping city builders become society builders and making JOY a city-building priority.

Work With Me

I work with politicians, planners, businesses, and social organizations to shift conversations from traditional conventional infrastructure to infrastructure for the human spirit—public spaces and inclusive cultural projects that turn densely populated urban spaces into joyful and creatively collaborative environments in which tolerance and invention rule the day. With the right narrative in place, I also help organizations make sense of the practical changes required to create joyful cities; that is, how to organize, prioritize, and fund the places where we foster social connection. Often this requires working with developers to choreograph “good density” that is social, healthy and more joyful than fenced-in backyards.

No matter where you are in your journey, I’m confident we can find a way to work together.

Available Services

  • Want to inspire or re-energize your team or community? I can speak at your team event or deliver a keynote presentation with content tailored to meet your needs.

  • Need help getting started or have a specific project in mind? I can consult on a variety of projects on an ad-hoc basis.

  • Looking to educate or brainstorm new ideas? I can create a workshop to help your team or community collaboratively strive for creation of infrastructure for the human spirit projects.

WHO I’VE WORKED WITH

Book

Changing cities starts with changing our perspective on them. The Joy Experiments offers this viewpoint:

For well over 50 years, society has prioritized quality of life in terms of individualism and economic efficiency. This focus has reached its ultimate conclusion: the age of isolationism, or more bluntly put, a social recession in which withdrawal, depression, fear of strangers, and change are crippling society’s ability to unite against the major challenges of our time and collaboratively find inventive solutions.

The reversal of this trend starts in cities. Throughout history, cities have been the habitat of the human spirit: that source of invention, resilience, tolerance, and creativity that we so desperately need. 

Looking to purchase for your organization or team?

Save 20% when you buy five copies or more.

WHAT PEOPLE ARE SAYING

“… [the book] invites us into the authors' intimate extended conversation about how to make urban places welcoming, sustainable, inclusive, but most of all, joyful."

Ken Greenberg

Principal at Greenberg Consultants Inc

“The Joy Experiments challenges us to embrace the idea that curiosity, beauty, and joy are legitimate and desired goals of modern city building."

Karen Coviello

VP at Habitat for Humanity Canada

“The 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."

Bruce Mau

CEO of Massive Change Network

“From [the table of contents], each page has resonated with me deeply when it comes to community building and fluid creativity when designing outdoor community spaces.”

Marijo Cuerrier

Executive Director for Downtown Kingston BIA

Projects

Here is a sample of previous consulting projects:

  • Garment Street

    I articulated a vision for an urban project involving three condo towers, an office building and a new pedestrian-friendly retail streetscape in the heart of Kitchener’s Innovation District. Garment Street pays tribute to the way industry shapes life, both in the past and today. The vision manifests itself through an ever-changing visual design pattern.

    Learn More

  • CHORUS

    I created a public art installation called CHORUS for the Garment Street development. The piece draws inspiration from the foot pedal of sewing machines, which powered much of Waterloo Region’s industrial reputation. The 12 panels of CHORUS reinterpret that artifact and celebrate the collaborative efforts of everyone who made the community an industrial powerhouse.

    Watch Video

  • Creative Intersections

    Creative Intersections is a strategic planning report outlining how Waterloo Region could use public art and public space design to shape its brand and bring a community identity to life. The Creative Intersections strategy focused on four key elements: space and place, engaging productions, curated content, and public and private partnerships.

    Download Report

  • Meander

    In the City of Cambridge, I developed a vision of cultural storytelling focused on the Grand River for HIP Developments. Meander was part of that vision: the largest permanent living architecture sculpture in the world. It was inspired by the community’s river and teaches how we can learn about diversity and sustainability from nature.

    Plan Your Visit

Media

To book Paul for an interview, or to receive a copy of the book for review purposes, please contact:

Lori Blahey lori@loriblahey.com (780) 604-6125

To learn more about The Joy Experiments, check out the media kit.

FEATURED IN

Re/Imagine Podcast
September 23, 2022

Bonn Park Podcast
April 6, 2022

Contact

linkedin.com/in/pkalbfleisch/

I regularly share insights and ideas, pose questions and encourage debate on LinkedIn. Join me so we can advance the conversation about a new model for city-building.