Happy Cities Alliance
Some cities don’t follow trends. They start them.
“We believe cities should be measured by how they make people feel – not just by what they produce.”
Happy Cities Alliance is a global programme developed alongside the Happy City Index. It was created to support cities through a structured, evidence-based approach to urban wellbeing and sustainable development.
The Alliance focuses on outcomes that directly affect residents: quality of life, inclusion, belonging, public services, environmental resilience, safety, and long-term social sustainability. It is designed to make these outcomes measurable, comparable and visible — not as slogans, but as operational priorities.
The programme is built on the same foundation as the Happy City Index: transparent data collection, verified sources, and an international research community. In the #2026 edition, more than 830 researchers contributed to the Index by collecting and verifying city-level evidence. The Alliance follows this same people-driven approach.
Each city covered by the programme is presented through a detailed results profile.
How the Programme Supports Cities
Annual city profile with referenced sources
Each year, the city is presented through a structured evidence profile aligned with the Happy City Index framework.
Benchmarking against Gold Cities
Results are contextualised through comparison with the Gold Cities group, providing a reference point aligned with the highest-performing cities in the Index.
Detailed presentation beyond ranking position
Cities covered by the Alliance are described in detail regardless of overall score or final ranking position, with strengths and development areas presented across the full framework.
Contextual city materials and publications
Where relevant, the programme includes editorial materials presenting the city’s context, governance approach, and examples of policies and projects linked to quality of life outcomes.
How a City Can Be Covered by the Programme
Open Invitation for Gold Cities
Cities classified as Gold Cities in the Happy City Index receive an open invitation to be covered by the programme, recognising outstanding performance in wellbeing and sustainable development outcomes.
Nomination by the Research Community
Researchers contributing data to the Index may nominate a city, supported by justification. Researchers vote collectively, resulting in five cities selected for programme coverage.
Coverage Enabled via a City Audit
A city may be covered if it aligns with the core ideas of the Happy City Index on sustainable urban development. Coverage is enabled through an audit under the Index framework and requires additional research work.
What Makes the Happy Cities Alliance Different
The Happy Cities Alliance is not a membership organisation. It is a two-year collaborative programme designed to support city leadership with reliable, comparable insight for strategic planning and long-term decision-making.
Functioning within the Alliance programme itself carries no cost for cities. Where a dedicated on-site audit is required under the third pathway, it is delivered as a separate paid service to enable full data availability and comparability.
