I didn’t even know there was a ranking of the happiest cities. So I was pleased to see it the other day and even more pleased to see that New York is the top ranked American city. But, based on having worked in or around city governments across the U.S. since 1992, when I took a look at the indicators they use to determine happiness, I’m not sure it reflects my understanding of how cities work or what actually makes residents happy.
This was a really insightful read. The Happy City Index definitely raises questions about how we quantify well-being in cities. I recently came across this article on Arclantic that lists the Top 5 Happiest Cities for 2025 and offers a different angle: https://www.arclantic.com/unveiling-the-world-s-five-happiest-cities-for-2025. Thought it paired well with this discussion.
This was a really insightful read. The Happy City Index definitely raises questions about how we quantify well-being in cities. I recently came across this article on Arclantic that lists the Top 5 Happiest Cities for 2025 and offers a different angle: https://www.arclantic.com/unveiling-the-world-s-five-happiest-cities-for-2025. Thought it paired well with this discussion.