Public spaces that allow coexistence are essential to live well

Spaces such as Sesc (Social Service of Commerce) and Ibirapuera Park, in São Paulo, have in common the fact that they lend themselves to different uses, facilitating people’s leisure🇧🇷 Common in some cities, rare in others, these places encourage and promote coexistence between different people and improve the quality of urban life. This is what makes these places of coexistence so important: the ability to generate well-being.

“Lasting happiness is created through intense experiences and activities🇧🇷 And these always occur in a certain space”, analyzes the document The Politics of Happiness: A Manifesto, from 2010, by the Finnish collective Demos Helsinki. The group focused on scientific research to find out what makes people really happy, and then suggested the creation of public policies focused on creating well-being, and not just increasing wealth.

And one of the group’s discoveries is the importance of creating “meaningful spaces”. This is because the use of space is highly political: can facilitate or hinder our happiness.

But what are the characteristics of a meaningful space? One of them is the possibility to change it, to interact without asking permission from anyone. Today, one of the few places we can do this is in our own homes.

In Rio de Janeiro, for example, public spaces are quite democratic, according to architect Vera Hazan, professor at PUC-RJ. “It’s the beaches, the waterfront gym, the bike paths, the Flamengo and Lagoa parks and neighborhood squares, which have just received gym equipment for the elderly.”

Another feature of a meaningful space is the possibilities of coexistence that he offers. Places that allow fun with family, friends and even strangers. Science has already discovered that a sense of community is fundamental to happiness. Therefore, activities such as taking a cooking class, playing basketball on a public court, and having a picnic under trees are fundamental to well-being.

eye of the street
Organizing collective walks was the way found by Jane’s friends in Toronto to keep her ideas throbbing. In May of last year alone, 75 cities in 15 different countries held 511 walks, the Jane’s Walks. The Cidade que Quero project, by Instituto Mobilidade Verde, helps residents to organize these tourstaking advantage of the occasion to discuss topics such as urban mobility, neighborhood lighting and the state of sidewalks.

Since August 2011, residents of three regions in São Paulo already engaged: Vila Madalena, Jardim Petrópolis and M’Boi Mirim. “More and more we lose contact with where we live. This distance is very dangerous”, says Lincoln Paiva, president of the institute. “Those who don’t walk don’t care about the sidewalks. And it’s easy to carry out dragnets and quick kidnappings if there’s no one on the streets.”

If you look closely, the range of spaces to visit is much wider than choosing which mall to visit over the weekend: be it a building or a square, be it a beach or a theater, a coffee shop or a library, whatever what matters is to find spaces where it is possible share stories, desires and worldviews🇧🇷 By creating new agreements and exercising peaceful coexistence, we create places where life can truly pulsate.