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Happy City: Transforming Our Lives Through Urban Design (2013)

by Charles Montgomery(Favorite Author)

4.25 of 5 Votes: 3

ISBN

0385669127 (ISBN13: 9780385669122)

languge

English

genre

Nonfiction

publisher

Doubleday Canada

review 1: I've always been really interested in urban design, and that's why this book initially intrigued me. After reading it, I want to learn even more about how the way our living space is arranged affects living style and ultimately happiness. Overall, this book causes the reader to look at how our cities and living arrangements have changed over time, what they exist as today, and what the best direction is for the future. A large topic is what Montgomery often calls "sprawl"- the current most popular living arrangement (also known as the suburb). It's VERY interesting to see how "sprawl" and the current popularity of suburban living could impact societal happiness and health going forward. Another interesting topic that the book touched on was mobility. "Sprawl", Montgomery s... moreays, reduces mobility, and creates a system where many must travel incredible distances simply to arrive at work or the grocery store. Happy City's look at commuting and how these long commutes can be avoided through urban design was interesting and exciting! I would recommend this book not only to those interested in urban design but to anyone seeking to live in a happier and more sustainable way!
review 2: I wouldn't have guessed that urban planning would prove such a fascinating topic to me, but last year I gave high marks to Jeff Speck's Walkable City and I am now doing the same for Charles Montgomery's Happy City. The author addresses the environmental and fiscal reasons for making biking and walking safer, mass transit available and convenient,having more green spaces and mixed use developments, and how improving those areas even makes it better for those who still choose (or need)to drive. He also makes a very convincing case for the fact that the collective happiness of society will rise if we have more ways to interact with each other in our daily lives - a product of the aforementioned improvements. Like Speck, he cites all kind of studies and reports - these are not just hopeful speculations. I liked his closing paragraph: "This is the truth that shines over the journey toward the happy city. We do not need to wait for someone else to make it. We build it when we choose how and where to live. We build it when we move a little bit closer. We build it when we choose to move a little slower. We build it by choosing to put aside our fear of the city and other people. We build the happy city by pursuing it in our own lives and, in so doing, pushing the city to change with us. We build it by living it." less

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