Happy City

Transforming Our Lives Through Urban Design.

As more people settle into dense urban cores, mixed-use suburbs, and rapidly growing towns, the way we live has transformed, but has our happiness kept pace? Are shorter commutes and walkable streets truly improving our lives, or have they simply replaced one kind of stress with another? And if city living isn’t delivering on its promise, how can we reshape it to do so?

With engaging and accessible storytelling, Charles Montgomery explores cities around the world at their best and worst: Bogotá’s evolution from a car-choked, dangerous capital into a model of livability; California’s San Joaquin Valley grappling with the fallout of the housing crisis; and a Vancouver suburb pioneering sustainable energy by turning waste into heat. Drawing on insights from behavioral economics and leading urban thinkers, he reveals how the design of our communities directly shapes our well-being.

Happy City offers a fresh perspective on urban life, showing how thoughtful, often simple changes can make cities more vibrant, humane, and joyful places to live, today and in the future.