Friday, September 5, 2014

Happy City - Charles Montgomery

A recommended read. I am only halfway through this book, but it has taken hold of me. It is an inspiring book that is important for anyone interested in the space they occupy. As citizens of cities we are responsible for making a space we can all enjoy and be happy in. 

As a student of design, I am increasingly interested in the spaces that I occupy or walk past. I am curious about how design can help influence our daily lives and how it can be used to make cities better. “Happy City” covers design issues related to the social aspects of urban design while offering ideas and solutions studied to the problems posed in the urban lifestyle choice.

I had to stop midway when I reached this quote: "It was people that made the space most interesting and worthwhile, but it took design to draw us together and slow us down just enough to transform that landscape of marble, concrete, water, and glass into a social environment" (Montgomery, 165). Montgomery and the people he describes in his book are inspiring. I hope to learn more and maybe attempt my own contribution to making the city a happy place. It only takes one, right?


Montgomery, Charles. Happy City: Transforming Our Lives through Urban Design. Canada: Doubleday Canada, 2013. Print.

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