Designing Infrastructure for Happiness: Building Cities that Feel as Good as They Function
As India’s cities race toward modernization, the conversation around infrastructure often centers on visible progress—flyovers, metros, bridges, and smart grids. Yet, beneath these tangible achievements lies a quieter but equally vital foundation: the infrastructure of happiness. If the first generation of urban plans focused on connectivity and utility, the next must focus on emotional ecology—building […]
From Happy Neighbourhoods to Happy Cities: Embedding Happiness in India’s Urban Master Plans
Introduction In recent years, the importance of happiness and well-being has increasingly been recognized in the context of urban development and public policy. Traditional metrics of progress, such as GDP and infrastructure indices, often fail to capture the psychological and social dimensions of urban life. India, currently undergoing rapid urbanisation, is at a critical juncture […]
City at Sea
(Ship to Shore, Observations and Thoughts of a Seafaring Passenger-Poet) By Brian Michael Barbeito That’s what they say; that the cruise ships are self-contained ‘cities at sea,’ and I suppose they are. In looking at their history, it does seem they have gotten bigger and bigger. Certainly they are something to look at and be […]
Metropolitan Malaise
By Brian Michael Barbeito Most of the sociologists or criminologists might agree, or people with plain old ‘horse sense,’ that overpopulation is the biggest problem when it occurs, the issue that contributes to the other phenomena such as crime, pollution, illness, poverty, the rise of unfairness in the distribution of needed resources. Well in today’s […]
Beyond the Towns, Pastoral Fields Wait
(Photo Essay and Epistolary to a Soul Unknown) By Brian Michael Barbeito The towns are growing fast, morphing into little cities. There is obviously no cap on building, on development. Yet as people and groups argue over this and that, I go out to walk the still vast and interesting forests and fields… At the […]
Oranjestad, The Orange City by the Sea
Prose Poem Belles Lettres Reports (from The Aruba Journals, August 2025) for Tara words and pictures by Brian Michael Barbeito Author’s Note: The following is a poetic and descriptive celebration of language and place. It’s also a love letter to the city of Oranjestad and also all of greater Aruba and its wonderful people. To […]
Brown bags in Private Urban Spaces
Anum’s growing passion for the arts led her to transition into the artistic field, where she explores her ancestral roots and storytelling through her work. Trained in Indo-Persian Miniature art, she holds an M.Phil. from the Indus Valley School of Art and Architecture (IVS). Anum has showcased her art in exhibitions such as Anti-Colonial Maps for […]
The Daily Commute and Its Psychological Toll: Unpacking the Mental Health Consequences
In contemporary urban environments, daily commuting has evolved into an essential yet psychologically taxing routine. Urban mobility systems, while enabling economic productivity and spatial connectivity, often impose significant mental health burdens on commuters. Extended travel times, overcrowded transit systems, traffic congestion, unpredictability, and noise pollution collectively contribute to heightened stress, anxiety, and reduced well-being. The […]
Clarence Perry’s Neighbourhood Concept and Its Relevance to the 15-Minute City Concept
Introduction The evolution of urban planning has consistently been marked by innovative concepts aimed at enhancing livability and sustainability in urban environments. Clarence Perry’s neighborhood unit concept, formulated in the early 20th century, has been a foundational influence in planning, advocating for self-contained neighborhoods designed to meet the needs of modern living. In recent years, […]
