Stories
We share stories and evidence on the link between urban design and human wellbeing.
All stories
Students for safer streets: Learning from the new generation of activists
People who use city spaces are the experts on how those spaces succeed or fail them.
Designing happy cities with Mitchell Reardon
Can our cities be designed to make us happier? Can street design foster trust—or even romance?
Building bridges at a distance
Now, more than ever, it is crucial for cities, city-builders and residents to stay engaged even when participants can’t meet in person. But how do we ensure remote conversations include everyone?
Renewing Happy City’s commitments to anti-racism
How we will be accountable for making change through our practice and our areas of influence.
Podcast: Paty Rios on Women-Led Cities
What does it mean to design a gender-inclusive city? To start, it means including people of diverse genders and experiences at decision-making tables.
The psychological tricks designers use to make cities happier places
From rainbow crosswalks to communal herb gardens, urban planners and architects are borrowing from neuroscience to build environments that people want to work and live in
Nine ways we can use the power of cities to boost happiness
We’ve gathered some of the most powerful urban happiness actions in a story for the National Post. Read the full story here.
How do you help an entire nation build happier communities?
There’s one sure way to avoid the negative effects of stressful, dangerous and disconnected communities: start using evidence to guide urban design. We’re helping the United Arab Emirates do just that.
Infusing equity into the World Happiness Report
The 2018 Global Happiness Policy Report is out. This time, the report contains practical solutions for governments and cities interested in boosting wellbeing.
Will Vancouver's ambitious new housing strategy make the city healthier and happier?
Vancouver, like so many cities, is experiencing a painful housing crisis. The city is the least affordable in North America.
Designed for wellbeing: Paddington Central
How have recent design improvements to the external environment at Paddington Central had an impact on the wellbeing of workers, residents and visitors?
Press release: Public space improvements can boost trust among strangers
A new study has found that a rainbow crosswalk painted by the City of Vancouver is linked to greater trust among strangers.
Tackling the crisis of social disconnection
Social wellbeing matters. Feelings of belonging and connection to other people and community are essential elements of human health and happiness.
An ode to women in the happy city movement
Women’s Day got us thinking about many of the leaders who have inspired our healthy, happy city movement.
Cairo transport advocates create a grassroots transit map
How can you use public transit if you don't even know where the buses run and what routes they take?
The Happy City Experiment with Q Ideas
Omar Dominguez, Happy City's Director of Operations and Sustainability, shared our ideas on the Happy City experiment in an engaging talk at Regent College.
What is the relationship between science, art and urban design?
This summer Omar Dominguez explored this question while entertaining and inspiring an enthusiastic audience in Vancouver’s happy Commercial Drive neighbourhood.
Machines for happiness
Can art and design make us kinder? Can we design more trust or altruism into the city? These are questions everyone can help answer.By Seth Geiser