Where is the intersection between happiness and urban design? Can
transforming cities really help people be happier? Join Knoxville's new
KAT director, Dawn Distler, as she reviews Happy City: Transforming Our
Lives Through Urban Design by Charles Montgomery at 12:00 p.m. on
Wednesday, March 18 in the East Tennessee History Center auditorium, at
this month's Books Sandwiched In, a program series of Knox County Public
Library.
"It isn't parking spaces that lure people to the city," Distler says. "A
cafe across the street from a bench under a tree, an open lane to ride a
bike where cars will not push them out of the way, and a trolley to get
them from the market to home make quality of life a reality and bring
people to the heart of a 'Happy City.'"
Rich with new insights from psychology, neuroscience, and Montgomery's
own urban experiments, Happy City reveals how cities can shape our
thoughts as well as our behavior. The message is ultimately as
surprising as it is hopeful: by retrofitting cities and our own lives
for happiness, we can tackle the urgent challenges of our age. The happy
city can save the world - and we can all help build it.
"This is a good book that could really help revolutionize many failing cities," Distler says.
Before coming to Knoxville, Distler was General Manager of operations
and maintenance for Nashville Metropolitan Transit Authority (MTA) and
Regional Transportation Authority. She has nearly 25 years of
professional experience in the transit industry, having begun her career
as a bus operator. She obtained a Bachelor of Science degree in
business management from the University of Phoenix, graduating with
honors.
Books Sandwiched In continues April 15, when Knoxville Attorney Wanda
Sobieski will discuss A Call to Action: Women, religion, violence and
power by Jimmy Carter.