Six community stories provide practical tips on how placemaking can support health, reconciliation, economic resilience, climate action, safe spaces for youth, and more.

The Tysons Community Alliance is creating a sense of place through low-cost, colourful, and creative placemaking initiatives.

Happy Cities is spearheading community engagement and conducting design reviews to optimize well-being at Mary Anne’s Place, a forthcoming mixed-use development in Port Moody, BC.

In 2020, the City of North Vancouver launched the Open Streets initiative in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. This program repurposed vehicle lanes into pedestrian-friendly spaces to bolster economic recovery and social connection. Over time, Open Streets have enhanced the public realm, providing additional outdoor areas for neighbors and strangers to connect and socialize.

Exploring the role that placemaking plays in supporting community wellbeing, with the Healthy Communities Initiative and Canadian Urban Institute.

Happy Cities is spearheading community engagement for the City of Surrey's Focus Newton project, aimed at revitalizing public spaces in the Newton neighborhood.

Happy Cities, in collaboration with researchers from Simon Fraser University, has developed a new guide on how neighborhoods can better support individuals living with dementia.

Happy Cities is working with Entro to create a new community wayfinding strategy for the City of Richmond, BC.

Happy Cities has dedicated over a decade to researching the connections between urban design and well-being. Our efforts culminated in a cutting-edge community assessment tool. This tool evaluates four design realms and tracks over 80 evidence-based criteria to gauge a project's impact on well-being.

Campus spaces serve as vibrant hubs for student life, accommodating diverse activities from picnics to concerts. Designing these spaces to support such varied uses enhances their role as central community gathering spots.

In aspiring to become the region's creative hub, Fort St. John aims to ensure everyone can engage in arts and culture. Tasked with crafting its inaugural Arts & Culture Framework, Happy Cities will steer the city's efforts in supporting events, facilities, funding, and more over the next decade.

In 2021, Halifax's iconic Spring Garden Road underwent a $10-million streetscape reconstruction project, central to the city's identity as a vibrant hub. Happy Cities was commissioned to develop a methodology to assess the project's impact on enhancing people's well-being.

The City of Vancouver initiated an international design challenge to address the vulnerability of waterfront areas, such as False Creek, to climate change impacts like sea level rise and flooding. This aims to envision a more resilient future for the area.

Amid the pandemic, Richmond swiftly implemented the Expedited Temporary Outdoor Patio Program, enabling local businesses to expand seating areas safely. This innovative measure supported businesses, ensuring compliance with COVID-19 public health orders.

In 2021, the City of New Westminster initiated projects in the Uptown neighborhood to create safe, comfortable, and accessible walking, wheeling, and cycling corridors and public spaces for people of all ages and abilities.

Boost usage of your city's greenway or bike lane by involving residents and stakeholders in creating eye-catching activations along the route, such as art installations. Transform streets into vibrant public spaces!

Happy Cities partnered with New Westminster and Glenbrook Middle School, installing student-designed curb bump-outs supported by Spin. The project aimed to enhance safety near the school and raise awareness of the Glenbrook/Rotary Crosstown Greenway.

In Downtown Vancouver, 70,000 residents and 140,000 workers coexist, yet many feel increasingly isolated despite digital connections. Crowded public spaces offer amenities but exacerbate social distance.