How Green Spaces Can

Make You Happy in a Week.

Duration

Source

Context Programme

1 week minimum - has to be extended to an unlimited duration

for long-lasting effects

In recent years, the concept of happiness has been overly

neglected. People are confused with respect to how to reach this

particular state of mind.

This booklet aims to help these people through a particular method

involving green spaces (“space”).

Based on previously conducted researches, the writers of this

publication have managed to develop a 1-week long self-initiated

programme that has been proved to be very effective to achieve

the state of happiness.

The benefits of this structure is that the user can act in complete

independency. All she or he will need is some space.

Photographs have been included in this booklet in order to

facilitate the understanding of the various rules that have to be

respected.

Would You Be Happier Living in a Greener Urban Area?

A Fixed-Effects Analysis of Panel Data, Mathew P. White,

Ian Alcock, Benedict W. Wheeler and Michael H. Depledge,

Psychological Science, published online 23 April 2013, DOI:

10.1177/0956797612464659

Go to a space everyday for a week and spend at least 45 minutes

in there.

Follow at least 2 of the following rules during your time in the

space:

- Do not take the space for granted.

- Interact with the space.

- Observe the space.

- Share the moment within the space.

- Forget yourself in the space.

After a week, the space will have made you happy.

However, in order to make your surrounding as happy as

you are, it is strongly advised to share any trace of your

achievements on social media (Twitter, Instagram, Facebook)

using the following hashtag - #greenspacehappy

ExampleThe following pages show a photographically-documented report

of a successful case.

Share the moment within the space.

Forget yourself in the space.

Observe the space.

Do not take the space for granted.

Interact with the space.

Day 1

22 October 2014

London, UK Victoria Park

9:00 - 9:45

Day 2

23 October 2014

Paris, France Square René-Le Gall

10:00 - 10:45

Share the moment within the space.

Forget yourself in the space.

Observe the space.

Do not take the space for granted.

Interact with the space.

Day 3

24 October 2014

London, UK Geraldine Mary Harmsworth Park

09:15 - 10:00

Share the moment within the space.

Forget yourself in the space.

Observe the space.

Do not take the space for granted.

Interact with the space.

Day 4

25 October 2014

Brighton, UK Pavilion Gardens and Steine Gardens

12:00 - 13:00

Share the moment within the space.

Forget yourself in the space.

Observe the space.

Do not take the space for granted.

Interact with the space.

Day 5

26 October 2014

London, UK Bethnal Green Gardens

12:45 - 13:30

Share the moment within the space.

Forget yourself in the space.

Observe the space.

Do not take the space for granted.

Interact with the space.

Day 6

27 October 2014

London, UK Archbishop’s Park

11:00 - 11:45

Share the moment within the space.

Forget yourself in the space.

Observe the space.

Do not take the space for granted.

Interact with the space.

Day 7

28 October 2014

London, UK Mabley Green

09:00 - 09:45

Share the moment within the space.

Forget yourself in the space.

Observe the space.

Do not take the space for granted.

Interact with the space.

Day 8

29 October 2014

London, UK Victoria Park

08:30 - 09:15

Share the moment within the space.

Forget yourself in the space.

Observe the space.

Do not take the space for granted.

Interact with the space.

Testimonial Photographic Evidence

However dubious I was until the start of the programme, I quickly

got very addicted - in a positive manner - to spending time in

spaces.

Not only nature simply feels good, walking around green areas

gave me the opportunity to be more sensitive to what is happening

around me. I have also been more sensitive to small details that

surround me.

Even though one can think that the latter is not really linked to

me being happy, it actually is. Indeed, caring more about things

around me directly translates to caring more about myself. It is

after 2, 3 days that I realised small changes in my routine.

The most impactful effect is what concerns interactions with other

people. I was and still am amazed at how satisfying it can be to

have a short chat with someone or even better to play football or

exercise with people for a short amount of time.

For these reasons, as well as others that I will not be able to share

you here, I definitely recommend this programme. It’s short and

effective. Isn’t he happy?

duo-tone risograph (green & black)

work and design by Tsukasa Tanimoto for London

College of Communication (Foundation Course

in Art & Design, Photography Pathway)

email: tanimoto.tsukasa@gmail.com

thank you Hato Press, Yuri Downing, Yanael

Neuplanche and the people who let me play

football and basketball with them at the Bethnal

Green Gardens

November 2014, London