On June 12 we attended the seminar, organized by ESE Business School, with the special participation of the Danish director of the Institute for the Pursuit of Happiness and author of “Hygge: Happiness in the little things”. According to the expert, Hygge “has more to do with the environment and experience than with things. It consists of being with the people we love. A sense of home. Feeling safe, protected from the world and allowing ourselves to let our guard down. Whether it’s having an endless conversation about the little or big things in life – or just being at ease in each other’s company in silence – or simply enjoying a cup of tea alone.” Taking this to the city, happiness has to do with creating public spaces that are pleasant for people and open for everyone to enjoy. Therefore, when we talk about the city, the factors that most directly affect the level of happiness of citizens are housing, the environment and transportation. In this sense, the Minister, who was invited to speak at the seminar, emphasized that “two key components for advancing happiness are the conditions of the place where we live and our behavior in this space, both as individuals and as a community. It is for this reason that developers have a fundamental role in generating the spaces where people will live, who may or may not advance in their search for happiness”.
