Shepherd, Selvey, Earon, and Wiking report on the physical design of homes where people are happy. They share that they learned via case studies of row house communities in Denmark and in the United Kingdom that “The key drivers to happiness [resident wellbeing]: balancing the private and the communal; personalising the physical layout; sensing nature; experiencing local identity; and engaging in the decision-making process. The five key drivers guided the development of ten spatial and policy recommendations for public and private developers, architects, and communities to help them design happier homes and neighbourhoods. . . . The ten recommendations include: creating spaces for privacy; create semi-private spaces to serve as a link between the private and the public; create possibilities to belong to smaller and larger communities at the same time; bring nature indoors; making green spaces more accessible; maintaining adaptability; creating a shared identity through history, culture or lifestyle; using noise to promote cohesion rather than conflict; making urban facilities easily accessible; and balancing accessibility and safety.”
Gorana Shepherd, Adam Selvey, Ofri Earon, and Meik Wiking. 2022. “Happy Home: Learnings from the Row House Typology,” Healthy City Design 2022 Conference, https://www.salus.global/article-show/happy-home-learnings-from-the-row-house-typology