ABSTRACT
Buildings punctuate and indeed shape the city landscape, in ways that offer hope, that exhibit a vision and show evidence of care across diverse contexts. Why the concern for building and buildings? Buildings have always been the primary focus of planning activity as evidenced since the early Health Acts and today remain central to the process of designing and building cities. This chapter explores three key elements of building: building for people, building for happiness, and building with nature. For planners a key challenge they face and a massive one, is how they can help build and shape cities that are resilient in the face of climate change and contribute rather than detract from planetary well-being. In the twenty-first century, the built environment challenges planners encounter are daunting, but they are not insurmountable if planners have the drive and clear-sightedness to confront rather than ignore them. Planners can bring together the wealth of expertise of all urban professionals to build better, from the microscale of the individual building to the complexity of the built environment at city scale. By working cooperatively with commitment, they can help ensure buildings support the well-being of all.
