Happy Cities is a certified B Corp
Our team works every day to support wellbeing for urban dwellers around the world, and we are deeply committed to building an organization that embodies that mission.
We’re proud to be a certified B Corporation, upholding the highest standards of social and environmental responsibility. In 2022, we were recognized by B Lab as one of the Best for the World™ B Corps for workers. To make the list, B Corps must have scores in the top five per cent in one or more of the five impact areas assessed towards the certification.
What does becoming a B Corp mean for our organization?
In short, it means that Happy Cities is legally required to make decisions that support the firm’s social responsibility and sustainability. B Corps go through a rigorous certification process to ensure that a business is making a transparent commitment to achieving high social and environmental performance.
We believe that our responsibilities as a registered B Corp will strengthen our commitments to reducing the environmental footprint of our firm and the communities we work in, to building an ethical and compassionate planning practice, and to creating places that are happier, healthier, and more inclusive.
Here are three examples of how:
Team wellbeing
Our mission begins with our team. We take team wellbeing seriously, and work hard to create an inclusive, fun, welcoming environment. Some examples: Our summer Fridays and parental leave policies emerged because of the priorities we heard from our team.
We also believe our mission helps us attract and retain the best talent. Team members are more likely to feel valued and know they are making a difference in a workplace that prioritizes wellbeing.
Accountability and trust
Our mission and certification means that we lead with wellbeing and equity in everything we do. And we expect to be held accountable to our mission—by our clients, community members, and team. Becoming a B Corp is just one piece of holding ourselves accountable: We are required to make decisions that support our firm’s social responsibility and sustainability.
By showing up and delivering on this promise, we build trust with our team and our communities. This trust is a competitive advantage that takes years to build. But it’s essential to our mission.
Changing the way business is done
We are still not where we want to be. We want to offer more benefits. We struggle, like any consultancy, to balance project deadlines with the limited number of hours we have in a week.
But eight years into our journey as Happy Cities, we are firm believers that a business can do good while still making money. And that doing good can actually be the reason you make money. It’s not an either-or situation.