Adapted from In a Good Place: How the Spaces Where We Live, Work, and Play Can Help Us Thrive by Leidy Klotz. Published by Little Brown Spark. Copyright © 2026. Used with permission. All rights reserved. Our spaces broadcast who we are and what we care about — whether we realize it or not. A warm kitchen built around a big table signals a family that values shared meals. An elementary school with an elaborate playground tells parents that outdoor exploration matters here. A walkable city suggests residents who care about health and environmental impact. We can’t always control what our physical surroundings say about us. We may not be able to force the school board to build a bigger playground or make the mayor close streets to cars. But our voice matters more than we realize. Exercising that influence doesn’t necessarily require chiming in at city council meetings or lobbying the parks department, though that’s time well spent. We can do a lot just by getting our own house in order.…