March 20 marks the International Day of Happiness—a global reminder that well-being matters just as much as economic growth. While the U.S. continues to slide in global happiness rankings, Nordic countries like Finland consistently top the list. In fact, Finland has been named the world’s happiest country for the eighth consecutive year in the 2025 World Happiness Report, published by the Wellbeing Research Centre at the University of Oxford.
This year, Denmark, Iceland, and Sweden follow close behind Finland. Meanwhile, the United States has fallen to 23rd place overall, and an even more sobering statistic—42nd among people under 30—reflects a growing generational gap in happiness. Rising loneliness, social disconnection, and mental health challenges are key drivers of the U.S.’s decline, along with increasing rates of “deaths of despair” related to suicide, drugs, and alcohol.
So what’s Finland doing right? And what can American urban planners learn from their model?
The answer lies not just in national policies or culture, but in how cities are designed and how communities function. Finnish urban planning prioritizes walkability, access to green space, public transit, and community connectivity. Cities are built to support mental health, reduce stress, and encourage social interaction. There’s also deep trust in public institutions and equitable access to services like healthcare, education, and housing.
Urban planners in the U.S. are uniquely positioned to lead a similar movement.
We can design cities that reduce isolation and increase well-being by:
• Creating safe, walkable, and bikeable neighborhoods
• Embedding nature into every urban environment
• Building equitable, accessible public spaces
• Designing “third places” that foster belonging—like libraries, parks, and plazas
• Centering joy and human connection in every policy and plan
Imagine a future where success is measured not just in GDP or square footage, but in trust, connection, and joy. Finland proves that a happier society is a planned society. Urban planners don’t just have a role in boosting happiness—they have the tools to lead it.
This International Day of Happiness, let’s commit to planning places where everyone can thrive.
Sources:
• World Happiness Report 2025
• AP News – Finland again ranked happiest country
• Business Insider – U.S. drops in rankings