Urbanist Charles Montgomery, the founder of Happy Cities and author of “Happy City: Transforming Our Lives Through Urban Design,” has spent decades researching evidence from social science and public health case studies on how to build happier cities and communities. What he found is that communities that are designed to foster social connections are happier than those that are disconnected.
“The way we design and build places changes people’s behavior, it changes the way people feel, and it changes our relationships with each other,” Montgomery said at the 2025 Environments for Aging Conference + Expo, held April 26-29 in Lexington, Ky. “People who are socially connected report being happier. They report being healthier. They’re more likely to recover from cancer. They perform better at work and are happier at work. And they live on average 15 years longer than people who are socially disconnected.”
During his keynote presentation at the EFA Conference, Montgomery shared with attendees some of the findings of his work and how those strategies can be applied to senior living design.
Using design to foster connection
To create happier cities or communities, Montgomery said designers need to create comfortable, activated spaces for people to interact and socialize. In his research, he said, he’s found that even people who identify as introverts are happier after a brief, positive encounter with a stranger.
Sharing examples of places designed to foster such interactions, he noted the neighborhood of Iztapalapa in Mexico City, where 15 different public spaces designated as “utopias” were developed to promote health and well-being for residents.
During a trip to Mexico City, Montgomery visited one of the utopias, which included a public square for kids to play, a stage for informal performances, shady spots to sit and talk, and a retired Boeing 737 airplane, which serves as a classroom and flight simulator. To address traffic concerns and create slower streets that are easy to walk around, the community installed a gondola.
“What you’re seeing is a neighborhood that is very, very connected, and, more than that, easy to get to places,” he said, adding that the area had enough people to support local shops, services, and amenities. “You can live your whole life in this neighborhood.”
Building communities that build relationships
In addition to places designed to help people make connections, Montgomery told attendees that people are happier in communities that are walkable, multigenerational, and infused with common spaces.
Speaking of his own experience, he shared that he’s part of a group of 25 households that came together to develop their own village in Vancouver that exemplifies such virtues, with collective gardens, common eating and cooking areas, and small social nooks outside the units on every floor where residents can gather.
He said the apartment buildings in this village function “like a social machine,” with yards where kids play and rooftop gardens where the community gathers and sometimes hosts dance parties.
Additionally, Montgomery said his own research of multifamily housing found that co-locating amenity spaces, such as pool tables and games next to a dining space, can help to improve social engagement. “We want to connect people in ways that are meaningful enough for them, and we need to organize our building circulation in ways to facilitate this,” he said.
In closing, he challenged the audience to build senior living communities that build relationships. “When we give people the opportunity to shape their environment, whether they’re painting a mural or working in the garden, there are powerful social effects,” he said.
For more coverage of the 2025 EFA Conference + Expo, go here. And mark your calendars for the 2026 EFA Conference + Expo, to be held March 16-18, 2026, in Phoenix. For more information, visit environmentsforaging.com.
