The following has been modified from an essay written for Mahan Rykiel Associates. At Mahan Rykiel Associates (MRA), in Baltimore, Maryland, I am an urban planner who’s fortunate to work on projects of all types and scales. I’ve been working with the firm for the past ten years, and was first drawn to the company …
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 …
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 …
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 …
Will You Be My Valentine? The Importance of Lovability in Places Where we Live Read More »
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. …
Encanto recognizes that cliché fairytales—stories of princesses and shining knights who fight monsters—do nothing to teach children about processing their own inner demons.
Released on the International Day of Happiness (March 20th), the annual World Happiness Report offers an updated snapshot of the state of happiness across the globe. What was the theme of the 2021 report? Well, you probably already guessed it . . . The 2021 report marks the ninth edition of the World Happiness Report …
2020 was definitely my year for well-designed places. It was the focus of my work for the better half of the year, and led me to so many exciting discoveries, which I continue to share about on this website. Beyond some of my personal 2020 highlights (below), I’ve concluded this post with a series of …
On the Significance of the Subjective Component My Hello Happy design research grew from an instinctive recognition of the spatiality of places. Given this, I believe that urban designers and planners have the ability to manipulate the qualities of a place with the intent of positively influencing the sensations, perceptions, emotions, and decision-making of people encountering that …
We’ve all done it. As the new year approaches, we set resolutions with every intention of succeeding, only to let sight of our goals fade slowly (or immediately, for some). And yet, we repeat the process every time. The fresh start effect of the new year encourages us overlook failed resolutions of years past. So …
