This episode is supported by the Gambrell Foundation, who believe a great life grows from strong relationships,

a sense of belonging, and moments of awe and wonder. Learn more about their work at

GambraleFoundation.org.

I grew up in a small city called Bend in Oregon.

There was an old logging town, 20,000 people kind of knew everybody.

And then when I was nine years old, my family moved to Amsterdam because my dad got a job

as an aircraft engineer.

So I lived in Amsterdam and then we moved to Zurich and those were cities that had great public transportation systems.

And as a young teenager, I had a transit pass in my pocket and, you know, a little bit of money and I could go anywhere I wanted.

So, you know, what I noticed was just kind of this infinite invitation to make stops if you wanted,

to just kind of loiter around and sit around on a park bench if you wanted.

The streets allowed you to make choices.

There wasn't just one way to do things. There was a million ways to do things.

And then we moved back to Oregon.

And I looked around at everything in the United States and thought, why can't we have more of that?

This is the science of happiness. I'm Dachr Keltner.

Welcome to the first episode of Cities of Aw, our ongoing series where we explore how moments of wonder can emerge in the midst of public life, on busy streets, in shared public spaces, inside art museums, and how those experiences can shift our perspective, deepen our connections,

and enrich our well-being.

If we look back at the pandemic, it became clear how essential public spaces are to public health.

We went on long walks and hikes, and we even met friends for coffee or dinner in parks.

Moments like that remind us that public space doesn't just happen.

It's imagined, and sometimes improvised.

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