ABSTRACT
As more people are living in urban areas, transforming a city into a healthy and happy community is gaining increasingly attention. Town planning includes land use, environmental design and community development. More and more studies show that town planning may help establish and develop healthy communities by offering sustainable solutions to urban and street design, social infrastructure needs and community planning. In conjunction with community development, the welfare, wellness and happiness of the community are shaped. To promote healthy living, it is imperative to build happy housing for the community. However, happy housing is not a means to an end. It is a subjective perception of living by residents in the premises. Houses provide a safe shelter and space for residents to carry out daily activities and rest. Good community development acts as the ‘software’ to achieve healthy and happy housing through the creation of friendly and harmonious neighbourhood, which is further enhanced by community organisations that provide various community activities. In this chapter, the effects of town planning and community development on healthy and happy housing will be examined with reference to studies in other countries. A local case study from Hong Kong, China, will be presented to demonstrate what works and what does not.
