Episode 10: The Hidden Value of Constraints

In this episode of Route Notes, we explore how constraints—those limits we often try to eliminate—can actually fuel creativity, collaboration, and community. From policy and innovation to loneliness and shared norms, we reflect on what gets lost when we remove the very boundaries that once held us together.

We talk about the unintended consequences of convenience, the erosion of social connection, and why policymaking might benefit from asking one simple question: what good might this constraint be doing? Whether it’s the shift to telemedicine, the decline of shared public spaces, or the overwhelming paradox of choice, this episode invites listeners to think differently about what holds us back—and what might be holding us together.