Happiness

Considering the Declaration of Independence and its mention of the "inalienable right" of "happiness", Kaid Benfield wonders what the pursuit of happiness can and should mean for communities.

Who's the happiest and healthiest of them all? The New York Times posts an interactive map of the national Gallup-Healthways Well-Being Index.

The Oprah Show says San Luis Obispo, California is America's Happiest City, citing urban planning decisions like making the town pedestrian-friendly with wide sidewalks and limiting fast food drive-throughs.

The mayor of the small town of Lancaster, California, has proposed broadcasting recordings of bird noises along one of the city's main streets to "make people happier".

PlaceMaker Hazel Borys explores what might be the most important metric of sustainable places.

Richard Florida wades through the newly released results of the Gallup-Healthways Well-Being Index, which looks at emotional and physical health in 52 of America's biggest metropolitan areas.

A new study ranks the U.S. states by residents' happiness. From Louisiana (#1) to New York (#51), the happiest people tend to live in sunny, outdoorsy states with strong quality of life measures.

A new survey reveals that people feel external factors like weather and stable jobs have more of an effect on their happiness than more personal factors like religion and family.

The New Economics Foundation's "Happy Planet Index" shows that Costa Ricans use fewer resources and lead happier lives than the rest of the world.

Building Happiness, a new collection of writings on architecture, concludes that the connect between beauty and happiness is unfounded.

This article from Vancouver Magazine looks at a recent study naming the livable and oft-envied city home to some of the least happy Canadians and asks why a great city has unhappy people.