Happy City: Transforming Our Lives Through Urban Design by Charles MontgomeryMy rating: 3 of 5 stars
I remember decades ago I read William Whyte’s book on, among other topics, urban design. The book was called “City”. “Happy City” seems to be cut from similar cloth. A difference, though perhaps only in my selective long-term memory, was that Whyte’s book had a lot of observations tied to corporations’ benefits brought about by the designed and built environment. “Happy City” covers very similar topics, but from the built environment’s impact on individuals. And I recall that “City” was quite 1950s boosterish on urban planning, “Happy City” carries more of the environmental mindset you’d expect nowadays. At times, this becomes like one of the many pop science books on happiness, describing the research on how different situations regarding the built environment and transportation impact emotions. I enjoyed the topics covered, although I did find parts repetitive.
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