Authors | Jaime Ramos, Raquel C. Pico
A city’s happiness goes hand in hand, of course, with the happiness of its residents. But, what does it depend on? How can a city contribute to the wellbeing and satisfaction of the community that lives in it? The answer lies largely in its ability to foster inclusiveness and strengthen social cohesion.
It is not merely about achieving impressive economic growth figures but ensuring that the benefits are distributed equitably across the entire community, about fostering a sense of belonging among residents, regardless of their abilities or its needs, while equipping them to understand and address the challenges of the 21st century. For instance, this involves understanding the impacts of heatwaves and designing cities based on sustainable urban planning principles. Such approaches not only enhance collective well-being but also position these cities among the happiest and most livable in the world.
In an increasingly urbanized world, where 4.2 billion people already reside in cities and this number is projected to rise to 6 billion by 2045, recognizing the significance of urban happiness has become a critical and pressing issue.
Urban planning has often been associated with challenges such as the loneliness epidemic, rising obesity rates, and a decline in overall health. However, urban policies have the potential not only to alleviate these issues but also to position cities as leaders in creating a healthier, more sustainable world. Part of the success of a city like Singapore, the only urban blue zone, lies precisely in its design. The city is thoughtfully planned to promote sports, leisure, and active lifestyles among its inhabitants.
Becoming a happier city is no trivial pursuit; it serves as a guarantee of inclusiveness, social cohesion, and overall well-being.
Why is the level of happiness important in cities?
Although the United Nations World Happiness Report places the burden on the government of each country, happiness is a matter closely related to local governance. It acts as a thermometer to measure the good and bad decisions made with regard to urban development.
However, the secret to urban happiness is not as simple as it may seem, first we need to define it and somehow shake of the abstraction of the term. That is, what do we mean when we refer to a happy city?
What makes a city happier?
We could identify it as the value of a city to establish itself as a positive place for the people that live there. Therefore, the fulfilment of collective needs favors the fulfilment of individual needs, from support, safety and belonging to the group; to the highest and more complex needs.
What does it take to achieve this? More sustainable architecture? Recreational areas? Bike lanes? Unfortunately (or fortunately), there is no happiness technology, but there are common values among cities that achieve better scores on the rankings.
Reducing inequalities among residents
Equal economic opportunities is an essential factor. This involves formulas that combat exclusion, such as barriers to participation experienced by people with disabilities.
Social integration requires the collaboration of central and local governments, together with a focus on inclusive education and employment. This is the way to show citizens that they can achieve their goals.
There is a crucial relationship between inequality, poverty and urban safety. Cities play a vital role in preventing neighborhood and district stratification. For example, in Bogota, 98% of crimes take place on just 2% of its streets.
Some initiatives implemented by cities to mitigate climate change also have complementary benefits in this area. For example, urban cycling policies not only aim to reduce CO2 emissions but also strive to ensure equitable access to urban mobility for all citizens. Cycling can enhance inclusiveness and reduce social disparities, as well-designed, cycling-focused urban planning ensures affordable access to bicycles, provides safe infrastructure for all users, and promotes sustainable practices that benefit the entire community.
A commitment to health
This pillar is not just based on facilitating access to Health, but rather on other phenomena such as pollution. In 2020, air pollution was the main cause of premature deaths in big cities.
Promoting instruments to achieve a healthier lifestyle depends to a significant extent on the city, through the development of aspects such as leisure, sport, the supply network and transport.
Commitment and a sense of community
These aspects are related to another more subjective and profound aspect. The feeling of finding your place within the community to which you belong. According to the researcher Jason Lee Berker “in terms of neighborhood, those with stronger ties within the community have stronger feelings of safety, they take part greater in common issues and they tend to vote more, recycle or help others.”
Therefore, a truly happy city is one that transcends neighborhood boundaries, fostering a sense of community where all inhabitants are seen and treated as neighbors. Social cohesion is built through inclusiveness and the promotion of horizontal solidarity.
“The happiness measured by the 2020 World Happiness Report describes the satisfaction of citizens with the functionality of the city, living and everyday routines”. According to Katja Vilkama, head of the urban development department.
Which is the happiest city in the world and why?
According to the World Happiness Report 2020, which included an analysis of urban happiness patterns, Helsinki is proud to be considered the happiest city in the world. The most recent edition of this study, published in 2024, did not establish a list of happy cities; however, it provided a ranking of countries based on happiness levels. Finland has been ranked as the world’s happiest country for the seventh consecutive year The strategy of Finland’s capital, Helsinki, offers valuable insights into the factors contributing to its consistently positive happiness rankings. Helsinki prioritizes the well-being of its residents by actively strengthening all the elements that affect the happiness of its citizens.
Although not the leader, Helsinki holds a prominent position in the global ranking of the world’s happiest cities, as compiled by the Institute for Quality of Life. In this index, the Finish capital was ranked as the 11th happiest city worldwide. The leader of the ranking is Aarhus (Denmark), followed by Zurich (Switzerland), Berlin (Germany), Gothenburg (Sweden), and Amsterdam (Netherlands). Rather than focusing solely on numerical rankings, this study categorizes cities into gold, silver, and bronze tiers. European cities dominate the gold category in the Happy City Index.
The first city outside of Europe is Minneapolis (United States), recognized as the happiest city in America. Brisbane, Australia, is recognized as the happiest city in Oceania, while Osaka, Japan, holds the distinction in Asia. Both cities are categorized in the gold medal tier. Cape Town, South Africa, is recognized as the happiest city in Africa, occupying the top position among African cities in the bronze medal category.
These figures demonstrate that cities increasingly acknowledge the significance of these rankings as a tool for addressing the complex challenges they face in the future.
Images | iStock/ Yelizaveta Tomashevska, Wikimedia/Kallerna, Alan Rodriguez
