CHANGING CITIES
CHANGES THE WORLD

According to Robert Putnam’s book Bowling Alone, we’ve been in a social recession since the 1970s. The advent of social media and other forms of digital convenience has accelerated this trend to the point where we now face an epidemic of loneliness.

We need great cities that actively moderate the connection between citizens and create moments of collective joy. Through collective joy, cities can build the foundation of a united, collaborative, and flexible society capable of tackling the complex and interconnected issues of our age.

Ready to become great?

Welcome to the JOY Experiments—a space to discover a new narrative, strategy, and creative process for building the great cities of the future.

  • JOY Principles

    12 perspective-shifting concepts that lead people through an exploration of new contexts, objectives, and measurements for great city building.

  • JOY Stories

    Some of our favourite examples and case studies of joy in city building from amazing people, organizations, and leaders around the world.

  • The JOY Experiments Book

    The book that started it all—offering a new language, narrative, and purpose for city building that reflects the needs of our souls and the future.

What do we mean by JOY?

For us, JOY is something people experience when they’re linked to others or to something beyond themselves. In fact, people most often feel JOY when they’re released from self-absorption, when they’re caught up in everything that’s around them and forget issues and personal judgments.

JOY in action on a small and personal scale can inject quality into the fabric of our cities and involves the renegotiation of our social perspectives and the alteration of our infrastructure.