How Dubai Is Designing Happiness Into Daily Life

Dubai is not only putting its efforts and focus on creating a new city and embracing innovation, but its main purpose is to build happiness for everyone living here, locals and visitors alike. While a lot of busy areas and popular cities put their time and effort into making sure there are huge skyscrapers to draw your attention or making malls, Dubai is looking at all the details that make up your experience of the city, without you even realizing it. The city tries to weave happiness, joy, and peace into your everyday routine. Starting from wellness parks and going up to things you might never even know about, like scents in big shopping areas, there are small details the city focuses on as well to show that the small things matter, and they impact your emotions a lot.

Try to make your way to any neighborhood you can find in Dubai, it's very rare to see that the place doesn't have a wellness park. These spaces aren't just green areas to roam around on but have been designed and made with many considerations, adding walking tracks and outdoor gyms, shaded seating and gardens to stroll through. Communities like Dubai Hills and Damac Hills have made these wellness zones their priority. What's the purpose of all this, though? Well, it's to give the people living there space to breathe, allow them to relax and become close to nature, all in the comfort of their community, without having to plan a getaway every time they feel a little tired or stressed.

Sure, Dubai is known for the high speed limits, luxury sports cars, and the wide roads to ride on, but these mostly fall into aesthetics. That's not to say that your passions and hobbies can't be carried out safely, but the city is also making an effort to slow things down a bit for everyday locals. The traffic designs are also designed to calm you down; there are narrower roads in residential communities, roundabouts, and places with speed bumps. This allows those who travel on foot or decide to go cycling to feel safer in their neighborhood. Even the streets that have been filled and lined on all sides with greenery are all done to make your travel through the city more peaceful.

Have you ever walked into a mall in Dubai and instantly thought that it smelled nice? Yeah, that's not a coincidence, it's done on purpose, and this is because it's been proven by countless studies that scents affect emotion, and this is why this has become a growing trend in public areas. There are custom fragrances in every area that are used with the purpose of improving the mood and giving a more peaceful feeling to shoppers, making visitors want to stay in the building longer.

Light is another factor that has a big effect on how we feel, and the urban planner in Dubai uses this to their advantage and makes good use of the knowledge. The city is starting to stray from harsh white lights and lean towards more golden hues that don't sting the eyes as much, or the soft lights on the streets and parks that don't glare at you in the dark. Places like Bluewaters Island and City Walk have been designed for the lighting to not just be used as a means for visibility, but it's to create an experience, an atmosphere for those that visit and work there, they want to give a feeling that is warm and welcoming, and a place where people can feel at home.

Another investment that is being pushed by Dubai to increase happiness overall in communities is investing in neighborhood events. You can do some yoga in the park with your neighbors, go to a farmers market, movie nights, and festivals during holidays. These aren't just made for entertainment purposes, it's to bring everyone closer together and make them feel like they're part of a community that cares, not just people they live next to.

There's no doubt that the city is incomparable when it comes to smart design and looking into the future, but there's also emotional design. Every streetlight that is put up, scents that waft by, and the green paths ahead of you as you walk are a part of something much bigger; it's to make your life in Dubai not just convenient but a happy experience that makes you want to stay, makes you relax, and feel at peace.