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Youth-led placemaking for safer streets
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Deep engagement to understand walkability
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Design principles for happy homes
Turning evidence into action
Based in Vancouver and Halifax, we work with cities, developers, and non-profits around the world to maximize the wellbeing impact of public spaces, streets, infrastructure, and housing.
Happy Cities, Hey Neighbour Collective, and SFU evaluated the impact of the City of North Vancouver’s Active Design Guidelines, uncovering valuable insights for promoting social connection in multi-unit housing.
Exploring the role that placemaking plays in supporting community wellbeing, with the Healthy Communities Initiative and Canadian Urban Institute.
Happy Cities and Meaningful Access Consulting worked with the City of Regina to create an Accessibility Plan, to ensure that everyone can participate fully in community life.
An cohousing project offers a promising, missing middle solution to Vancouver’s housing and social isolation crises.
"Happy Cities was a dream to work with. The quality of research, analysis, written submissions and field work was consistently high. A true partner in our ambitious active transportation pursuits!"
Lisa Leblanc, Director of Engineering, City of New Westminster
Featured stories
When people take an active role in shaping their community, they build social connections and trust—with one another, and with local government.
Three ways to design multi-unit housing for social connection, happiness, and health.
It's been 10 years since the publication of the book Happy City, by Charles Montgomery. Our readers share how the book influenced their career and life journeys.
The power of benches and seating to connect strangers.
Read the book that started it all
Explore the intersection between urban design and the emerging science of happiness, with stops in some of the world’s most dynamic cities.
Cohousing communities reveal the benefits of supportive, multigenerational neighbours—showing that apartment living doesn’t have to be lonely or isolating.