The WHO predicts that by 2020 depression will turn into the subsequent driving reason for illness around the world. The worldwide quest for the financial turn of events i.e. the economic growth and sustainable development has been undermined. As urban communities proceed to repeat and pursue fruitful city models. The way to deal with urban city improvement has been fundamentally altogether different where urban communities become globalized at the expense of their neighborhood culture or social character and the cultural change for urban development is in the condition of disregard. These are basic factors that add to urban and social anxiety in urban living which prompts increment instances of depression in urban living.

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Individuals will see architecture from various perspectives, yet there are key components of design at the urban and human scale that can upgrade human experience and encourage the street towards human satisfaction and prosperity. It’s through little changes that we can begin making the world a happier destination, and architecture is certainly an apparatus that can be utilized to perceive a happiness model for the city. Bhutan is one such significant city model that considers happiness as a crucial denominator of growth

Bhutan has assumed the eager errand of vowing joy for the entirety of its residents.  The Bhutanese government focuses on GNH, the Gross National Happiness, over GDP as a proportion of the nation’s success. Since the establishment of Bhutan, compassion, and spirituality has formed a significant basis of governance. Also, this integration has happened at both the individual and the institutional level. The GNH Survey and the GNH Index are intended to control activities to propel happiness all over Bhutan. The models utilized by the GNH Index are all-encompassing and investigates every individual’s life in various areas for example mental prosperity, wellbeing, education, time use, social & cultural diversity, good governance structure, community essentialness, environmental diversity and resiliency, and in conclusion expectations for everyday comforts.

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This proposition plans to investigate how architecture and urban structure can influence individuals’ satisfaction. The world economy has encountered an incredible lift in the last decades and has signified that a better salary not necessarily guarantees a happy life. The ecological conditions of a place have a significant take in building a sustainable economy and in affecting the individual’s happiness. Thus, Bhutan prioritizes certain parameters for city growth.

Ecological Conservation as a rudimentary philosophy

At present simply over 70% of Bhutan is shrouded in timberland, and the constitution expresses that this figure should never dip under 60%. Because of this broad timberland inclusion, Bhutan is the only nation that can make a case for being carbon negative; figures recommend that the country assimilates multiple times the carbon it produces. The agenda was backed up by certain policies that focus on restriction on trade logging, plans to present electric vehicles, and accentuation on hydroelectric control over the utilization of non-renewable energy sources.

A positive association between nature and prosperity. Proof demonstrates that preservation of nature can expand within people’s confidence and improved mental wellbeing; thus diminishing the feeling of anxiety within people thus making Bhutan more joyful as a result contributing emphatically to its high GNH.

Building future on pillars of the past

To preserve the nation’s social character and age-old conventions from diluting to the outside world A Heritage Sites Bill has been set up to safeguard significant structures, for example, the various monasteries that are distributed all through the nation. Since generation is enthusiastic, vivid town celebrations are a significant part of the yearly schedule. The national dress is compulsory worn all through the national schools and government institutions. With everything taken into account, by safeguarding the Bhutanese culture, authorities are making a feeling of being a piece of a more extensive, inclusive & unified community which thus provides a feeling of association, making people happy and progressively providing mental security within their life.

Diverse economy to build a robust nation

Bhutan’s powers both for its effect on the earth and on the neighborhood populace, organizing social and environmental consideration over business interests. The approach towards sustainability is additionally extended to the travel industry in Bhutan, with attention to low volume quality tourism. The country focused on opposing mass influx of tourists which can thus possibly ruin the beautiful landscape of Bhutan and can have an inevitable impact on citizen’s life.

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A citizen-centric governance structure

Bhutan in the first decade of the 21st century took a significant change from being a monarchy to becoming a democracy rule but under the managing hand regarded King. Good administration is an essential component that contributes to GNH. The other outstanding social arrangements that add to this notable change are free healthcare to every citizen and free education up to the tertiary level which contributes to the general wellbeing of every citizen in Bhutan. It’s a prosperous nation but also faces a due challenge in handling unemployment and living standards. During a time of environmental change, exceptional modernization and unlimited industrialism have attracted numerous nations that could gain from what this small Himalayan realm is pushing.

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Happiness is not a commodity it is a feeling, a mental state that depends on a philosophy of life free from materialistic needs. And widely depends on external factors like governmental policies. There’s no denying the way that Bhutan is a remarkable goal. It sets an ideal case of how in a cutting-edge world old convention can be safeguarded, and if local people and government are well aware it can become the happiest country.

Information References

https://www.oneworldeducation.org/bhutan-worlds-happiest-country

https://www.npr.org/sections/parallels/2018/02/12/584481047/the-birthplace-of-gross-national-happiness-is-growing-a-bit-cynical

https://www.selectiveasia.com/blog/bhutan/what-makes-bhutan-the-happiest-country-in-the-world

https://www.youthreporter.eu/de/beitrag/the-happiest-country-in-the-world-bhutan.15468/#.XslEYTozbIU

https://www.lifehack.org/articles/communication/8-things-bhutan-people-differently-that-make-them-the-happiest-people.html

Author

Yash Siroliya is a Masters in Urban Design student at the Planning Department in CEPT. In an award winning bachelor's thesis, Yash focused on the restoration of the artistic and cultural legacy of a Himachal village. These days he spends his time thinking about public spaces for the next billion.