Happy Cities conducted background research and engagement with city planners to make the case for social infrastructure.

Happy Cities created new community design guidelines for the University of the Fraser Valley, outlining strategies for a resilient, socially connected development on the Abbotsford Campus.

Happy Cities and Hey Neighbour Collective offer evidence-based design strategies for improving social connection and health through shared spaces in multi-unit housing.

An innovative policy offers incentives for new housing that supports social connection, health, and inclusion in Port Moody.

Happy Cities, in collaboration with researchers from Simon Fraser University, has developed a new guide on how neighborhoods can better support individuals living with dementia.

In response to Metro Vancouver's housing crisis, British Columbia announced new legislation in November 2023. This includes legalizing three to six units per lot province-wide and designating areas near rapid transit stations as "transit-oriented development" zones. Cities in these areas must allow taller residential buildings and eliminate parking minimums.

Amid COVID-19's economic strain, Vancouver businesses innovate to ensure safe and comfortable reopening experiences.

In Downtown Vancouver, 70,000 residents and 140,000 workers coexist, yet many feel increasingly isolated despite digital connections. Crowded public spaces offer amenities but exacerbate social distance.

Transportation decisions extend beyond mere movement; they profoundly influence people's lives, impacting their health and happiness. Decades of global research highlight the far-reaching effects of transit spending decisions, emphasizing the interconnectedness between transportation policies and individual well-being.

Public space in Vancouver isn't universally accessible; residents encounter barriers based on identity factors like race, gender, sexual orientation, age, income, and ability. Overlapping identities compound these challenges, affecting access, comfort, and safety in city spaces.

The way we commute can indeed influence our generosity, and sharing personal burdens with strangers in the city can have surprising effects.

Happy Cities collaborated with Colorado partners to conduct a Happy Mapping Audit at the Clear Creek School District site in Idaho Springs. This initiative is part of the town's efforts to explore opportunities for economic diversification and expanding its tax base.

Governments and city-builders must translate decades of happiness research into actionable strategies for human wellbeing. They need pragmatic approaches and inspirational examples to guide their efforts.

This question served as inspiration for our experiment in Vancouver, Canada, where we measured the impact of colorful or lush interventions on people's well-being.

This question fueled an experiment conducted by Happy Cities and collaborators, forming our winning entry for the Shore to Core research competition. Organized by the Van Alen Institute and West Palm Beach Community Redevelopment Agency, the competition tasked participants with exploring the impact of urban spaces on human well-being and reimagining social well-being in waterfront cities.

British Land, the UK’s largest real estate investment trust, is committed to improving wellbeing through its development and placemaking practices. We helped the company to pursue this aspiration through a collaborative program of research, recommendations, site audits and workshops.

During Love Night, Charles Montgomery assembled an interdisciplinary team to reconfigure urban spaces, aiming to encourage participants to exhibit greater trust and openness towards strangers.

The driving question behind this ambitious collaboration at the Museum of Vancouver, spearheaded by Happy Cities principal Charles Montgomery, alongside four other community partners and hundreds of participants…