Culture Talks: Art, Architecture, the Public Realm and Social Infrastructure

Culture Talks:
Art, Architecture, the Public Realm and Social Infrastructure

Featuring Dr. Troy Glover, a professor in the Department of Recreation and Leisure Studies at the University of Waterloo and Director of the Healthy Communities Research Network.

Thursday, 7 May, 2026, 6:30 - 8:30 p.m.
General Admission $22.50 + HST
Student/Arts Worker $12.50 + HST
Location: The Walper Hotel, 20 Queen St. South, Kitchener, N2G 1V6

Culture Talks continues conversations between artists, architects, designers, city builders and urbanists, shining a light on exemplary buildings, public art.

The Social Life of Repetition: How We Become Connected in Public Space

We often celebrate the role of art, architecture, and public space in shaping vibrant, socially conscious cities. From galleries and public art to parks and plazas, these environments are designed to bring people together. Yet connection does not happen simply because people share space. It unfolds through a series of small, often unnoticed interactions: a glance, a moment of recognition, a nod, a brief exchange. Over time, these moments can grow into relationships and, ultimately, the social fabric of community life.

In this talk, Dr. Troy Glover explores the hidden social dynamics that shape how connection actually happens within culturally active spaces. Drawing on everyday examples—from returning to the same café to encountering familiar faces in neighbourhood parks and cultural venues—he introduces a simple, but powerful idea: that connection is built through repetition. By returning to the same places and participating in shared activities, people move from strangers to recognition, from acknowledgment to interaction, and from interaction to meaningful relationships that generate social capital.

Offering a fresh perspective on social infrastructure and cultural placemaking, this talk shifts attention from how spaces are designed to how they are lived. It suggests the success of our built and cultural environments depends not only on their form or function, but on their capacity to invite return, support repeated interaction, and foster the everyday encounters through which community takes shape. In an era marked by social fragmentation, it asks a timely question: what if the key to stronger, more connected cities lies not only in what we build, but in how often and how meaningfully we come back?

About the Speaker
Dr. Troy Glover is a professor in the Department of Recreation and Leisure Studies at the University of Waterloo and Director of the Healthy Communities Research Network. His work explores how everyday environments and experiences—from parks and public spaces to leisure engagement—shape social connection, community life, and wellbeing.

He is affiliated with the Future Cities Institute and the Future of Work Institute at Waterloo, where he contributes to interdisciplinary efforts focused on building more connected, inclusive, and resilient communities. Beyond academia, he serves as Principal of Healthy Placemaking Solutions, a consulting practice that works with municipalities and organizations to design programs, spaces, and strategies that strengthen social connection.

Troy’s research has been widely recognized for its contributions to the study of social capital and community wellbeing. A 2025 systematic review on social capital, identified him as the most active and influential scholar in the field over the past three decades. Troy is a Fellow of the Academy of Leisure Sciences and a recipient of the Canadian Association of Leisure Studies Leisure Scholar Award for his career contributions to the field.

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Imagery courtesy of the speaker.