Happy City is the story of how the solutions to this century&s problems lie in unlocking the secrets to great city living This is going to be the century of the city But what actually makes a good city? Why are some cities a joy to live in? As Charles Montgomery reveals it&s not how much money your neighbours earn or how pleasant the climate is that makes the most difference Journeying to dozens of cities
- from Atlanta to Bogota to Vancouver
- he talks to the new champions of the happy city to explore the urban innovations already transforming people&s lives He meets the visionary Colombian mayor who turned some of the world&s most dangerous roads into an urban cycling haven; the Danish architect who brought the lessons of medieval Tuscan towns to modern-day Copenhagen; & the New York City transport commissioner who turned the gridlock of Times Square into a place to lounge in the sun Drawing on the lessons from their stories from brain science & from the fascinating realm of urban experimentation Happy City offers solutions we can all use to improve our livesandshows that simple changes can make all the difference& Do we live in neighbourhoods that make us happy? Montgomery encourages us to ask without embarrassment & to think intelligently about the answer& The New York Times Book Review& Excellent Montgomery believes in the importance of smart town planning & Happy City is a compendium of its major ideas& Will Dean Independent Charles Montgomery is a journalist & urban experimentalist from Vancouver Canada His writings on urban planning psychology culture & history have appeared in magazines & journals on three continents He is the author of one previous book & was an original member of the BMW Guggenheim Lab