Is urban design really powerful enough to make or break happiness? The question posed in this article deserves consideration, because the happy city message is taking root around the world. Do the most dynamic economies of the 20th century produce the most miserable cities of all because they are dominated by cars?
Does cycling make you happy? A difficult RCT to complete, but we'll work on it. In the meantime I cycle most of the time, and on the basis of my single case study, it does make me happy. I am also happy to report that cycling whilst at work, attracts 24p a mile on a travel claim form.
Cycling was raised on "more or less" a few weeks ago, an influential radio 4 statistics programme. Despite the recent high profile accidents in London recently, cycling is safe and good for your health. Safer than walking in London apparently.
Give it a try.
Cycling makes you happy and is goofd for you too!
Check out this lancet article from last year (have put article on resources page too in the network).
It states that increased walking and cycling in urban areas and reduced use of private cars could within 20 years, reduce the prevalences of type 2 diabetes, dementia, ischaemic heart disease, cerebrovascular disease, and cancer because of increased physical activity which would lead to savings of roughly UKĀ£17 billion (in 2010 prices) for the NHS!
It would be harder to cost the mental health effects of this, but i think that it would dramatically affect people's mood as the earlier article suggests!