Walkable Rotterdam: Bloemhof

by Editor on

Image credit: Mark Bolk Through deep engagement conducted both on-site and remotely, Happy City helped the City of Rotterdam understand the mobility and public space needs of marginalized groups in the city’s Bloemhof neighbourhood. Working directly with residents, we developed pragmatic walkability solutions. Walking is one of the simplest and most accessible ways to boost wellbeing. In many cities, however, the benefits of walking are not equally distributed. People of… Continue reading

Designing for Difference

by Administrator on

Public space isn’t always truly public: the way we look, sound and move affects our experiences in city space. Here in Vancouver, residents continue to face barriers to access, comfort and safety in public space based on their identities, from race, gender and sexual orientation to age, income and ability. When residents experience overlapping identities, these barriers can be even more challenging.  We envision a future where Vancouver’s public spaces… Continue reading

National Policy for Happier, Healthier Communities in the United Arab Emirates

by Administrator on

In January 2019 the United Arab Emirates unveiled a global first: a national community design policy for building happier, healthier communities across the country. We led the development of this policy, and we’re excited to see it roll out in the UAE. Beyond that, our hope is that creating such a policy may represent the start of something critical: a list of everything communities need to support human wellbeing. The… Continue reading

Designed to Engage: Policy recommendations for promoting sociability in multi-family housing

by Editor on

Fostering strong social relationships is one of the most important ways to ensure community happiness, health, and resilience. Given that multi-family housing is a major source of rental and owner-occupied housing in most cities, how can we boost sociability in these places? A big challenge is that thoughtful, relationship-building design is often stymied by existing policies and old habits. With the support of the Real Estate Foundation of BC, and… Continue reading

Tomo on Main

by Editor on

Can we design multi-family housing to nurture strong, supportive social relationships? Hundreds of hours of research led us to believe the answer is Yes. Tomo House brings this idea to life. Tomo House has brought Happy City into a unique collaboration with an enlightened developer (Take Root), a creative design team (Lanefab and MA+HG Architects, and a group of future residents determined to find an affordable, pragmatic path to cohousing… Continue reading

Archives