This book contains four sample projects for new-style communities. Four stories told through words, pictures and suggestions about the design potential surrounding everyday living.

The experience of Rethinking Happiness aims to reset the concept of the urban development model and to start again from scratch, redefining needs, habits and dreams in tune with present day requirements. In other words, it will be looking at an updated model of contemporary life during a workshop open to economists, sociologists, architects, designers, town planners, landscape designers and simple citizens invited to participate in giving an area a new identity.

In the absence of a general overview the single disciplines no longer appear able to provide answers as to “how” and “on what conditions” our contemporary structure can be transformed.