Happy City Research Articles

How can urban green space be planned for a ‘happy city’? Evidence from overhead- to eye-level green exposure metrics

The benefits of urban green spaces (UGSs) for human health have been extensively documented. Nevertheless, few studies have incorporated multidimensional UGS exposure indicators, and little is known about the effectiveness of different metrics that should be prioritized as nature-based solutions for improving mental well-being. This study aimed to investigate the associations between various UGS exposure metrics and residents’ expressed happiness (EH) as well as to determine the prioritization of metrics in Nanjing, China, a megacity with 9.5 million inhabitants. The study region was divided into 500 m × 500 m grids, and 330,000 geotagged posts from social media (Sina Weibo) were retrieved for sentiment analysis using the Natural Language Processing (NLP). We developed a systematic UGS exposure framework using satellite, land-cover, and street view-derived data, encompassing 17 indicators of composition and configuration at overhead level as well as street green space visibility and perceived quality at eye level. A regression model and Likelihood Ratio Test were used to examine the associations between various UGS indicators and EH and determine the prioritization of indicators. The results indicated that UGS size had the greatest potential for promoting residents’ EH, followed by overall greenness in the surrounding area, aggregated UGS, perceived quality, and visibility of street green spaces. This study also found that overhead-level metrics may be more effective than eye-level metrics in enhancing residents’ EH, although both perspectives showed significant associations with EH. These findings provide valuable insights into health-oriented landscapes and urban planning to promote the development of a “happy city,” particularly in low-green resource settings in low- and middle-income countries.

Kota Berkelanjutan: Analisis Efektivitas Penerapan Smart Mobility dan Smart Living untuk Menciptakan Happy City di Kota Jakarta

Contemporary technological developments have given birth to a smart city concept that is able to respond to urban problems through the use of information and communication technology. On the other hand, aspects of happiness indicators have become part of city performance, so studies have emerged that link happiness with the quality of life of city residents. In line with the sustainable city development paradigm, in recent years, the Jakarta Special Capital Region government has developed public transportation such as commuterline, Transjakarta, MRT and LRT which is supported by technology in payment systems and departure schedules to improve services for its users. However, it is not enough to provide satisfaction for users due to problems with ticket sensors, payment via vending machines and inappropriate arrival time management. The aim of this research is to analyze the effectiveness by comparing the plans that have been determined with the results in implementing two smart city pillars, namely smart living and smart mobility to create a Happy City in the city of Jakarta. This research uses a descriptive quantitative approach with observation and the use of questionnaires. From the results of the discussion, it was found that the majority of users stated that it had not been achieved or that development was still needed in terms of waiting time range, ease of technology, security and comfort. Meanwhile, city residents as users stated that they were quite happy, showing satisfaction with comfort and security.

Reimagining Cities: Paving the Path to Happy City

Reimagining Cities: Paving the Path to Happy City

Happy city for everyone: Generational differences in rural migrant workers’ leisure in urban China

Everyday leisure creates opportunities for migrant–local encounters and these encounters play important roles in urban migrants’ lives as they further their integration into the city. However, migrant workers are not homogeneous, with prominent identifiable differences between generations. This current paper analyses migrant workers’ leisure patterns and constraints in Guangzhou, China, with a particular focus on generational differences. Based on survey data collected in 2018, we have identified three leisure patterns, namely Transformed (i.e., higher leisure consumption and longer travelled distance for leisure), Prolonged (i.e., longer leisure time) and Traditional (i.e., lower leisure consumption, shorter leisure time and shorter travelled distance). In addition, significant generational differences are observed: first, while the Transformed Pattern is predisposed to be the new generation’s choice, almost half of the first generation retains the Traditional pattern; second, the first generation tends to report more substantial leisure constraints subjectively, but their leisure patterns are contrarily more affected by objective constraint indicators, such as gender, working hours, living with family members and residential location. The new generation is more influenced by subjective constraint indicators such as their attitude towards leisure, lack of like-minded companions or mobility choices. This study contributes to the extant literature by offering a typology of leisure patterns considering multiple dimensions of leisure behaviours, and further revealing the diversification of migrant workers’ leisure life in the dynamic urban context. Findings suggest that the two generations may value leisure differently, indicating inevitable lifestyle changes of the newcomers in Chinese cities. Our findings may also provide some suggestions for policymakers.

원도심학교 활성화에 관한 교육관계자 및 전문가 인식연구

The purpose of this study is to analyze how school education subjects and related groups recognize the original city school and what its meaning is in relation to the original city school revitalization plan. In addition, it is to explore what factors can affect the revitalization of the original city center school. The opinions of school officials and experts were collected through a group interview format, and the results were examined based on the qualitative data analysis method.
 As a result of the study, the first problem facing the original downtown school in Happy City is that the phenomenon of ‘the poor and the poor’ is occurring by misclassifying the support area. The wrong regional classification also caused problems in granting additional points for promotion to teachers, making it difficult to secure excellent teachers in the original city center school. Second, another problem in the original downtown area of Happy City is that the educational environment is being damaged due to the revitalization of the tourism industry. In order to revitalize the original city school, the educational subjects in the school must first be able to voluntarily promote the project. In order to promote the school revitalization project, at least three teachers, including the principal, must be provided with conditions for continuous power. In addition, in the case of Happiness City, rural areas problem should be solved preferentially because these areas where promotion additional points are given are incorrectly selected. It is necessary to secure the conditions for devotional teachers to continue working in the original city school. Finally, in order for the original city school to be activated, it is necessary to be able to organize and implement effective programs suitable for the original city school. Considering that the proportion of students with poor family circumstances is high, education and welfare programs should be strengthened in original city schools than in other schools.

Assessing happiness policies in Seoul: citizen participation in urban planning

ABSTRACT Social isolation and mental well-being have been public concerns for South Korea for more than a decade. This has led to the development of happiness legislation and promoting happiness as an explicit city policy. As a result, the Seoul Village Community Project was developed to foster citizen participation and community engagement to promote communal ways of living and reduce social isolation. This paper examines the contemporary driver of Seoul’s endeavour to become a happy city and the success and failure in the city’s policy actions. The paper also illustrates how citizen participation has resulted in Seoul’s urban planning and revitalization.

Investigating the Relationship between Tourism and Creating a Happy City: A Case Study of Chalous and Nowshahr Cities, Mazandaran, Iran

Investigating the Relationship between Tourism and Creating a Happy City: A Case Study of Chalous and Nowshahr Cities, Mazandaran, Iran

Research on the Dilemma and Countermeasures of Happy City Construction

Research on the Dilemma and Countermeasures of Happy City Construction

Towards a Resilient City: An Adaptive Planning Model for a Healthy & Happy City

Towards a Resilient City: An Adaptive Planning Model for a Healthy & Happy City

Going Through the Pandemic and Exploring Happy City: A Research on Tainan Travel Image, Happiness and Travel Intention

<p>臺南是臺灣最有歷史的城市，有著美食、建築、與文化交織的萬種面貌，不論是懷舊復古的體驗、寧靜悠閒地散步、或是熱情純樸的居民，都構成旅人心目中專屬的臺南意象。本研究以到臺南旅遊的外縣市民眾為研究對象，探討在新冠肺炎(COVID-19)疫情影響下，臺灣民眾對於臺南旅遊意象、幸福感與旅遊意願的意見。採問卷調查法，於2020年七月至八月間以便利抽樣方式至臺南市知名景點蒐集遊客意見，實際回收有效問卷共304份，有效回收率92.7%。分析結果發現受訪民眾知覺之臺南旅遊意象包括交通與設施、文化、居民等三構面；並且驗證了旅遊意象、幸福感與旅遊意願之關係，結果顯示旅遊意象對幸福感與旅遊意願具顯著正向影響，幸福感對旅遊意願有顯著正向影響，同時幸福感對旅遊意象與旅遊意願之關係具有部分中介效果。本研究結果可以增加學理對於旅遊意象、幸福感與旅遊意願內涵之瞭解，也可以提供在後疫情時期，臺南市政府推廣城市行銷與觀光的參考，協助市府與企業設計符合遊客旅遊需求的觀光產品與服務。</p> <p> </p><p>Tainan is the oldest city in Taiwan. It contains various features, including delicious food, characteristic architecture, and rich culture. For many travelers, they had perceived specific Tainan travel image, such as experiencing old-school style, taking a leisurely walk, and interacting with kindly people. With the purpose to examine the effect of COVID-19 on tourism industry and travelers’ perception of Tainan travel image, happiness and travel intention, this research collected travelers’ responses by convenience sampling from July to August in 2020. 304 valid respondents were collected with 92.7% effective response rate. The results indicated that travelers’ perception of Tainan travel image was conducted by traffic-construction, culture, and residents. This research also verified the relationship between travel image, happiness, and travel intention. Happiness had partial mediation effect on the relation of travel image and travel intention. The findings of this study could provide references of city marketing and tourism for Tainan City government and could help government and corporates to design tourism product and service from travelers’ perspectives in the post pandemic era.</p> <p> </p>

Happy city: Well-being, comfort and safety of its residents

The article discusses the impact of urban development and planning on the life and happiness of the population. The ratings of the best cities in the world in terms of quality of life and level of happiness are analyzed. Depending on the goals of urban planning, a happy city is defined by the following concepts: a “smart” city, a city of digital technologies, an eco-city. The criteria for classifying cities as “happy” are considered. A number of demographic and social indicators affecting the level of happiness of the urban population are formulated. The authors discuss the conceptual basis of the development of modern cities on the principles of balanced natural and anthropogenic compatibility with the natural environment. An enlarged calculation of the indicator of the feasibility of city functions was performed (as an example for some Russian cities). The data obtained are compared with the results of a sociological survey (rating of happy cities of the Russian Federation).

Saudi Vision for a Happy City

Launched in 2016 to bring wellbeing to its citizens through the diversification of its economy, Saudi Arabia has gained much appreciation with its Saudi Vision 2030. Among its themes, the vision includes the 'A Vibrant Society' which aims to facilitate happy and fulfilling lives through the development of livable cities. The goal is to have three cities among the top 100 livable cities in the world. Riyadh is the nation’s capital and biggest city. It represents Saudi Arabia as a whole and as such, is a promising candidate to be one of Saudi’s most livable cities. This article argues that the vision for Riyadh should facilitate a ‘vibrant society’ comprised of happy citizens. To further our understanding of ‘happiness’, we focused on the ‘Vision for Riyadh city’ in the ‘Quality of Life Program’, which was developed as part of the ‘Vibrant Society Theme’ under the Saudi Vision 2030. It was compared with design proposals by architecture students from Prince Sultan University for urban spaces in Riyadh made between 2016-2019. Our analysis clarifies the extent to which the students’ vision for the city resonated with the administrative plans for Riyadh. Similarities between the visions reveal that the Saudi Vision 2030 is aligned with the students’ preferences and the views of citizens, while differences indicate the need for a more collaborative approach to developing Riyadh’s city vision; one in which students can play a vital role along with their professors and city administrators to ensure the development of a harmonious and ‘happy’ city.

New Books across the Disciplines

New Books across the Disciplines

Evaluation of Happy City Indicators in Affordable Housing Projects, Case Study: Mehr Housing Projects, Aftab Town, The City of Parand, Tehran, Iran

Evaluation of Happy City Indicators in Affordable Housing Projects, Case Study: Mehr Housing Projects, Aftab Town, The City of Parand, Tehran, Iran

Planning and Markets at Work: Seattle under Growth Management and Economic Pressure

This paper presents an analysis of Seattle’s redevelopment under Washington State’s urban containment policy and the city’s own urban village plan, with a particular focus on outcomes that arise via a combination of urban planning and land market activity. By comparing the city’s parcel layer between 2010 and 2020, the analysis tracks changes in the form of land consolidation and subdivision, which indicate the intensity of redevelopment activities motivated by the market. It reveals that much redevelopment has happened in single- and multifamily areas, but multifamily areas are more likely to have changed. By implementing an exploratory discrete choice model, the analysis also reveals that urban village policy may reduce redevelopment within Seattle—but one subtype, so-called urban hubs, is more likely to accommodate redevelopment. This leads to further discussion of the goals and effectiveness of this urban village policy. Overall, the findings of this work form a picture of a happy, healthy, and sustainable city that sets a high bar for other cities seeking to achieve the same success.

APPROACHES TO URBAN REVITALIZATION POLICY IN LIGHT OF THE LATEST CONCEPTS OF SUSTAINABLE URBAN DEVELOPMENT

The article substantiates the essence and necessity of the use of innovative approaches to the formation and implementation of public policies of urban revitalization in the context of the latest concepts of urban development, namely: Compact City, Green City, Smart City, Creative City, Inclusive City, Cittaslow, Happy City, Learning City. The relevant proposals on the innovation policy of revitalizing cities are brought forward based on the analysis of the provisions of each of the chosen concepts. It is determined that there does not exist a single city where only one of the latest concepts of city development was implemented. In practice, we observe the multi-vectorness and combination of urban policies, which came to replace traditional sectoral views. Regarding the policy of urban revitalization, innovative approaches focus on the transformation of degraded areas into urban environments favourable for human life and activities in line with the needs and interests of their inhabitants. Revitalization should be considered both in terms of its impact on a specific degraded area and as having long-term synergetic effects on the city as a whole. It was found that the basis for innovative policies of urban revitalization is laid by human-oriented programmes of sustainable renewal of areas. The programmes are premised on taking into account a variety of concepts and combining a number of activities, specifically: organization of a compact multifunctional environment (Compact City); formation of an ecologically friendly environment for human life and activities (Green City); arrangement of urban space taking advantage of modern technologies and innovations (Smart City); creating conditions for life, activities and cooperation of creative people (Creative City); ensuring a full-fledged multidimensional inclusion of all the inhabitants (Inclusive City); realization of the internal potential of an area depending on local identity (Cittaslow); raising the level of public and individual happiness (Happy City); promotion of the culture of lifelong learning of all the inhabitants (Learning City). It is noted that innovative solutions for overcoming the crisis phenomena of degraded urban areas should be individualized depending on the local specificity and potential, the state of economic, physical, human and other capital of a particular city. In this case, the development of human capital of an area is increasingly becoming the key factor of its renewal, which presupposes organization of the inhabitants’ training, improving their qualifications and skills. It was substantiated that the revitalization policy is expedient to develop from the perspective of ensuring multiplicative impact on the development of a city as a whole. The efficiency of the policy implementation depends on the leveraging of resources (financial, intellectual, etc.) from different sources through partnerships. The main criterion of policy effectiveness is the ability of a revitalized urban area to develop sustainably, satisfying the needs of all stakeholders. Indicators of the policy success is not only the living standards and quality of life of the inhabitants, but also the condition of the natural environment, levels of tolerance, trust, empathy, social cohesion, education, happiness, etc.

Walking towards a happy city

This paper aims to pursue and to strengthen a paradigm shift in transport. It offers a fresh perspective on how the vehicle-oriented paradigm has been translated into specific biased practices and priorities in transport policy and research that jeopardized walkability. Then, it examines the transformational role of walking in the sustainable urban mobility transition. By considering walking as an experience, the paper shares a people-oriented and place-based framework for measuring and promoting walkable cities based on the local context of Hong Kong. On the way forward, it highlights the irreplaceable and leading role of governments in promoting walkability. Finally, it suggests two strategic directions of quantifying and fully integrating walking-related variables in transport design manuals, and ensuring a seamless transport experience for people using sustainable transport modes.

Studying and Complying Dimensions, Indicators and Variables Related to a Happy City

Studying and Complying Dimensions, Indicators and Variables Related to a Happy City

Happy Street: a point to reach the happy city Case study (Bu-Ali Sina and Pasteur axis of Hamadan city)

Happy Street: a point to reach the happy city Case study (Bu-Ali Sina and Pasteur axis of Hamadan city)

Opinions of Retired People about Physical Activity as a Leisure Time Activity: Example of Turkey's Oldest and Happy City

Bu araştırmada, TÜİK 2019 verilerine göre Türkiye’de mutluluk düzeyi en yüksek il olarak belirlenen Sinop’taki emekli bireylerin; serbest zamanlarını değerlendirme, fiziksel aktiviteye katılım, fiziksel aktivitelerin yeterliği ve katılıma engel durumlar ile şehirde serbest zamanla ilgili değiştirilmesi gerekenlerle ilgili görüşlerini tespit etmek amaçlanmıştır. Çalışma verileri, nitel araştırma desenlerinden yüz yüze görüşme tekniği ile toplanmış ve Sinop şehir merkezinde yaşayan emekli sekiz kişinin görüşleri alınarak içerik analizi tekniği ile çözümlenmiştir. Çalışma neticesinde katılımcı görüşleri; serbest zamanlarını değerlendirme boyutunda fiziksel aktivite, sosyal etkinlikler, açık hava etkinlikleri, mental aktiviteler ve sosyal sorumluluk alanlarında olduğu; fiziksel aktiviteye katılımın sağlık, yenilenme, teşvik ve tatmin boyutlarına ayrıştığı; fiziksel aktivitelerin uzman eksikliği, yerel yönetim ve fiziki imkanlar açısından yetersiz olduğu, fiziksel aktivitelere katılıma engel durumların tesis/malzeme, ulaşım, sosyal çevre, beslenme ve bürokrasi boyutlarında gerçekleştiği ve son olarak şehirde serbest zamanla ilgili yapılması/değiştirilmesi gerekenlere dair görüşlerin tesis, kurslar, ulaşım, aktivite, sağlık ve sporu yaygınlaştırma boyutlarında olduğu tespit edilmiştir.