A Preliminary Survey on Happy-Based Urban and Mobility Strategies: Evaluation of European Best Practices

In 2011, the United Nations General Assembly made the initial move towards regulating the concept of happiness as the primary factor for promoting sustainable development and achieving the Millennium Development Goals. In fact, the UN General Assembly recognised the need to establish a new approach based on an inclusive, equitable, and balanced urban planning paradigm that promotes the happiness and well-being of people. Only in 2012, the report“Wellbeing and Happiness: Defining a New Economic Paradigm” remembers this aspect and the relationship between happiness and well-being as good practices in the design of urban spaces as well as in human mobility. Even though the regional planning/ smart mobility dualism has demonstrated great potential in socio-economic and spatial development, there are no studies or research that connect this dualism to the broader concept of happy region in terms of well-being, population satisfaction, and quality of life.With these premises, the purpose of this paper is to propose recommendations for mobility interventions that may alter the regional structure and urban growth by enhancing regional well-being and happiness. In this regard, an analytical approach is proposed, based on a systematic and cross-reading of the best European practices in mobility solutions and urban projects, highlighting the originality and value of this research to strengthen the happy region model based on integrated mobility and regional planning choices.