Charles Montgomery on May 10, 2023 | UCSB Arts & Lectures

“Do we live in neighborhoods that make us happy? That is not a silly question. Montgomery encourages us to ask it without embarrassment, and to think intelligently about the answer.” The New York Times

“In Montgomery’s hands, urban design proves not only exciting, but integral to our future.” Publishers Weekly

The city you live in has a powerful effect on how you behave. How, then, do we design happy cities? Urban design consultant, award-winning journalist and author of Happy City, Charles Montgomery looks for answers in psychology, neuroscience, behavioral economics and cityscapes from Disneyland to Dubai. Montgomery launched the world’s first Happy Neighborhood Audit in Mexico City, works with the World Health Organization’s Europe Healthy Cities Network, and collaborates with TIME magazine on an interactive survey exploring happiness in American cities. Discover the link between urban design and our thoughts, feelings and actions as Montgomery demonstrates life-changing relationships with the cities we inhabit. 

Co-presented with UCSB Library as part of UCSB Reads 2023, with support from the Office of the Executive Vice Chancellor

A program of the UCSB Library, UCSB Reads brings the UCSB and Santa Barbara communities together by reading a common book