ABSTRACT
Due to their concentration of people, places, products, systems and services, cities have been – and continue to be – the epicentres of human innovation, creativity and diversity. Cities have not been without their problems, however: in particular, when the design of the urban environment is not done well, citizens’ wellbeing and health can be negatively affected. As they continue to grow and swell, cities face new demographic, economic, environmental, political and social challenges; thus, it is imperative that decision-makers carefully consider how cities are designed and who designs them, at present and in the future, to positively impact wellbeing and improve the quality of the lived experience in cities. This chapter introduces the main concept of the book – wellbeing in the context of cities – and outlines the subsequent chapters of the book.
