The Competitive Advantage of Designing for Community | Richard Togman | TEDxLakeheadU

Thu May 1, 2025

In this compelling talk, Dr. Richard Togman explores how small and medium-sized towns can harness their inherent strengths to foster vibrant, resilient communities. He emphasizes that by intentionally designing for community—through inclusive public spaces, collaborative initiatives, and shared resources—these towns can create environments where individuals feel connected and empowered. Dr. Togman illustrates how such community-focused design not only enhances quality of life but also serves as a strategic advantage in attracting and retaining residents, businesses, and investments. Dr. Richard Togman is the CEO of the Thunder Bay Public Library. He also currently acts as Chair of the Thunder Bay Chamber of Commerce Policy and Advocacy Committee and sits on the Board of the Lakehead Social Planning Council.Previous to his role at the Library, Richard launched real estate start-up 'Rent Panda'. As Co-Founder and CEO, Rent Panda scaled from a 1 person Thunder Bay business to operating in every major city in Ontario within 5 years. Richard also holds a PhD in Political Science from the University of British Columbia and published a book with the world's top academic publisher, Oxford University Press. His book 'Nationalizing Sex' looks at how governments have tried to control and shape demographic growth and decline, why most government efforts fail and what we can do to shape our future. This talk was given at a TEDx event using the TED conference format but independently organized by a local community. Learn more at https://www.ted.com/tedx

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