Aired Oct 14, 2026

In an era where political discourse often resembles warfare, how do we design physical and social spaces that actually encourage people to drop their defenses and listen?

In this episode, we sit down with Bill Woodson, Founder of CATA (Conversations Across the Aisle), to explore the behavioral psychology and structural design behind successful civic dialogues. With a background in higher education and community policing research, Bill unpacks why traditional debates fail, how subtle environmental factors—like offering a free meal—disarm defensiveness, and why the goal of bridging divides isn’t changing people’s minds, but deepening our understanding of why our neighbors think the way they do.

Bill Woodson is the Founder of CATA (Conversations Across the Aisle). With a background in higher education, community policing research, and civic dialogue, he designs structured, depolarizing spaces that foster mutual understanding and respectful conversation across political divides.

Links

CATA – Conversations Across the Aisle (cataproject.org)