Happiness and Wellbeing

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Happy + Inclusive: Planning for Joy and Healing

As I pack my bags for the American Planning Association’s 2023 National Planning Conference, happening this weekend in Philadelphia, I’m reflecting on my time at last year’s event in San Diego. I had submitted three session proposals, hoping one would stick the landing…much to my surprise, all three were selected. I felt so honored, but …

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Designing Our Way Out of Dystopia

What Design Professionals Stand to Learn from the 2023 World Happiness Report This piece was originally posted on the website of landscape architecture firm, Mahan Rykiel Associates. Imagine you are standing before a ladder with ten rungs, each step representing a degree of satisfaction with life. At the ground, you’re at the lowest point; but …

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The Importance of Lovability in the Places Where we Live

Will You Be My Valentine? The Importance of Lovability in Places Where we Live

Do you love where you live? If you do, then I just have to ask . . . “If you love it so much, why don’t you marry it?” If you think my question is facetious, you might be surprised to learn that in 2011, over 2,000 people gathered together in Durham, North Carolina, to …

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The Emotional Wellbeing of La Familia Madrigal

I’m not a psychologist, but I’m very curious to know how one would analyze the characters of Encanto, Disney’s latest animated feature with a story that celebrates the depth of our personalities and the complexities of the human experience. I recently reviewed the movie Encanto, and why I feel it’s underlying message is so important. …

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