Happy city. Wanting not too much

The concept of a happy city is increasingly incompatible with the reality that awaits us. It stems from a modern vision of the world—one in which we already know and have everything, so we can finally rest in peace. Meanwhile, in the mid-2020s, we must realize that things were already good (happily). Today, when we think about our cities, we must prepare them for the crises that lie ahead—further pandemics, rising global temperatures and their consequences, growing mental health crises, financial market turbulence, and war. Indeed, many solutions from the "happy city" catalog will find their place here. Cities that are more resilient to climate change are blue and green, biodiverse, compact, dense, and zero-emission—those where we move around on our own, not by car. It's easier to survive lockdowns in a city of strong, neighborly communities. These communities also constitute a force of resistance and mobilization in times of war crisis, as demonstrated by numerous civic initiatives in Ukrainian cities.