Our interdisciplinary team uses design, city planning, policy and education to help governments, city builders and city dwellers create places that are better for everyone. Here’s what we’ve been up to:

Vancouver Breweries Wellbeing Patio Study
We adjusted our public life study approach to assess how the temporary patios at a number of local Vancouver breweries influenced patron wellbeing.
Downtown Vancouver Laneway Activation Plan
We are conducting analysis and engagement to create a strategic plan that turns a network of downtown laneways into inviting, safe social spaces.
Social wellbeing in modular housing: co-creating designs to nurture health and social support for vulnerable people
Happy Neighbours: Promoting affordability and social wellbeing
Implementing and testing design and social programming actions in multi-unit housing
Streets for People in 2020
City of New Westminster
Rapid Placemaking to Bring Back Main Street
A Pandemic Recovery Toolkit for Local Communities
People walking on the streets during a festival in Superior
Inspired by Nature: Superior Creative Placemaking Master Plan
Town of Superior, Colorado
Walkable Rotterdam: Bloemhof
Co-creation of active mobility solutions for marginalized communities
Major Urban Parks Audit and Assessment
Mexico City Ministry of Environment
Designing for Difference
An assessment of experiences in public space
National Policy for Happier, Healthier Communities in the United Arab Emirates
How do you help an entire nation build happier communities?
Visitors enjoying the shade at Vancouver's Jim Deva Plaza. (Credit: Alison Boulier)
Pavement-to-Plaza Wellbeing Assessment
Major public study of plazas in partnership with the City of Vancouver
Designed to Engage: Policy recommendations for promoting sociability in multi-family housing
Happy Homes: Building Sociability through Multi-family Housing
Tomo on Main
Multi-family housing collaboration
Ecopolitan: Redesigned for happiness
Remote wellbeing audit of a new community plan
Image of participants holding signs
Happy City Denver Experiments
Denver, Colorado
Idaho Springs report cover
Community happiness mapping and audit
Idaho Springs
Global Happiness Policy Report: Happy Cities in a Smart World
Dubai Plan 2021
Helping Dubai achieve its happiness goals
Happy Streets
Happy Streets Living Lab
Exploring the link between public space improvements and trust, sociability, and wellbeing
Shore to Core
Urban waterfront experiment in West Palm Beach
Granville Island 2040
Land Use Vision Plan
Happiness, health and shareholder value
A workshop with the Healthcare of Ontario Pension Plan
Happy village principles for Cypress Village
Workshop with British Pacific Properties
Wellbeing principles for British Land
Helping improve wellbeing through the UK's largest portfolio of commercial real estate development.
Happy City Workshop at the 23rd Congress for the New Urbanism
Happy City and PlaceMakers, LLC helped CNU members explore lessons on the urban design and wellbeing connection, and their implications for the CNU Charter.
Happy City Workshop with the Centre for Civic Governance
Helping municipal leaders build happiness into British Columbia communities
Mexico City Happy City neighbourhood audit
An urban investigation with Laboratorio para la Ciudad, Government of Mexico City
Happy, healthy cities workshop
Designing for urban health with the World Health Organization
BMW Guggenheim Lab
Interdisciplinary urban laboratory project of the Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum
Happy City: The Book
Transforming Our Lives Through Urban Design
Editable urbanism
Investigating urban design and pro-social behaviour with Futurewise
The Happy City experiment
Charles Montgomery at TEDx Vancouver
Testing, Testing
Measuring psychophysiological effects of public space with the BMW Guggenheim Lab
Love night
Designing an environment for social trust with the BMW Guggenheim Lab
Upcycled urbanism
A participatory design + build project with Museum of Vancouver
Building happiness in new cities
New Cities Summit, King Abdullah Economic City
Happiness and urban design in Victoria
Workshop with the Capitol Regional District, Victoria
Reportage
Selected published essays and journalism
Building Happiness
Contribution to Connected Worlds, book of urban solutions published by British Telecom
Mailbox of the future
Ideation for Canada Post/Hotspex
Pinetree Way revitalization: ideation
Consulting for ISL Engineering/City of Coquitlam