At the WISER project’s concluding international conference in Siena (09.-11.09.), experts from diverse fields convened to explore the links between happiness and sustainability.
Drawing on insights from economics, sociology, psychology, political science, urban planning, environmental studies, and more, the event focused on a vital question: Can we design institutions, policies, and ways of living that foster both human well-being and ecological balance? In this context, the conference further examined how competitiveness, happiness, and sustainability might be harmonized in practice, and identified policy recommendations based on research findings.
The team from SI-IU contributed to this conference with a keynote speech on “Advancing People-Centered Well-Being: Cross-cutting Insights from Neighbourhood-Level Research” (Dr. Shaharin Annisa together with Prof. Dr. Javier Martinez from UTweente/ NL) and a presentation on “Co-Production of Public Space as a Catalyst for Quality of Life: Placemaking Strategies in VPUU Projects in Monwabisi Park, South Africa“ (Dr. Sigrid Busch).
Both contributions highlight the importance of contextualising how we understand and research quality of life and well-being in informal settlements, taking Monwabisi Park in Cape Town as a case study. Without romanticising the very real challenges, the project looked beyond deficits to also understand the role of social capital, community assets and local capacities as well as the importance of hybrid governance in shaping well-being and quality of life.
