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Episode 287 – Rebuilding Social Trust Through Place-Based Community Engagement with Eric Higbee

In this powerful episode of the Derate The Hate podcast, Wilk Wilkinson sits down with landscape architect, community organizer, and writer Eric Higbee to explore the transformative power of place-based community engagement in our increasingly fragmented society.

Eric shares insights from his multifaceted work at the intersection of placemaking, civic renewal, and social psychology. Through his award-winning design practice, Convene, and his respected Substack newsletter, The Answer is Community, Eric helps individuals and local governments build deeper, more empathetic relationships where they live.

 Key Topics Covered:

✅ Why online interactions can’t replace real, local community engagement
✅ The psychology behind building empathy and reducing social anxiety
✅ How intergroup contact theory supports community healing
✅ The dual role of grassroots organizing and local government in fostering social cohesion
✅ How common cause projects can unite people across ideological divides
✅ The importance of physical spaces in creating social trust
✅ What civic participation really looks like in your own neighborhood

Top Takeaways:

✅ Civic renewal starts locally—through real-world relationships and shared purpose
✅ Empathy and anxiety reduction are vital for bridging social divides
✅ Both individuals and local governments must take ownership of community wellbeing
✅ Place-based communities are the foundation for lasting social cohesion

Whether you’re a local leader, community-minded citizen, or simply tired of online polarization, this episode will inspire you to engage more deeply with those around you—and offer tools to get started.

Learn more about and connect with Eric Higbee by getting the full show notes for this episode at www.DerateTheHate.com. 

The world is a better place if we are better people. That begins with each of us as individuals. Be kind to one another. Be grateful for all you’ve got. Make every day the day that you want it to be!

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*The views expressed by Wilk, his guest hosts &/or guests on the Derate The Hate podcast are their own and should not be attributed to any organization they may otherwise be affiliated with.