Portfolio
We’ve worked with nations, cities, developers and non-profits around the world to build happier, healthier and more inclusive communities.
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Building social connections: Multi-unit housing design toolkit
Happy Cities and Hey Neighbour Collective offer evidence-based design strategies for improving social connection and health through shared spaces in multi-unit housing.
Port Moody social wellbeing design guidelines
An innovative policy offers incentives for new housing that supports social connection, health, and inclusion in Port Moody.
Dementia-inclusive planning and design guidelines
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.
Vancouver breweries patio wellbeing study
Amid COVID-19's economic strain, Vancouver businesses innovate to ensure safe and comfortable reopening experiences.
Downtown Vancouver laneway transformation strategy
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.
Transit investment choices wellbeing study for TransLink
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.
Designing for difference: Vancouver public plazas analysis
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.
Happy City Denver experiments
The way we commute can indeed influence our generosity, and sharing personal burdens with strangers in the city can have surprising effects.
Clear Creek School District: Community wellbeing audit
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.
Global happiness policy report: Happy cities in a smart world
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.
Happy streets living lab
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.
Shore to core
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.
Wellbeing principles for British Land
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.
Love night at the Guggenheim
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.
Upcycled urbanism
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…
BMW Guggenheim lab
The BMW Guggenheim Lab, a blend of urban think tank and community center, traversed the globe to spark fresh perspectives on urban living. Happy Cities principal Charles Montgomery contributed as an original team member in New York City and continued his involvement in Berlin.
Editable urbanism
Historical studies indicate that street edge design can influence human behavior, attracting or repelling people. But can design ultimately shape how we interact with one another?