This Is Where You Belong summary

The first step to falling in love with your city is getting to know it intimately, and there’s no better way to do so than by taking a walk or bike ride. Exploring your city in these ways, especially using back roads and almost getting lost will create a detailed mental map of your city.

As you navigate through the city you’ll find yourself associating different places with specific thoughts and rich sensory experiences. For example, every time you pass a café in your neighborhood, the smell of fresh coffee might spark a memory of the first time you went there.

Shopping can be a great way to connect with your city – if you frequent local stores, that is. After all, by supporting local businesses, you’ll help your city’s local economy, which will lead to improvements in infrastructure and, in turn, your quality of life.

For instance, a study of businesses in Salt Lake City found that 52 percent of the money spent at local businesses continues to circulate locally. That’s compared to the meager 14 percent that remains in local circulation after being spent at big corporations.

Are you the kind of person that spends a lot of time with their neighbors? Or perhaps you don’t live in the best part of town and can’t wait to leave your house in the morning. Well, regardless of where you fall on the spectrum, it generally enhances your well-being to become involved in your local community – and it’s not so difficult to do.

A recent study found a close link between a person’s neighborhood relationships and their health, and here’s how:

For generations, humanity has been making the big move from the countryside to cities, yet people are usually happier and healthier when in nature. As such, it’s no wonder that green spaces in a city are good for your health; of course, the happier and healthier you are, the more likely you are to enjoy the place you live.

That makes biophilic cities, those that have lots of green space like parks, community gardens and green roofs, especially great places to live. So, how can you tell whether your own city is biophilic?

Say you’re finally starting to love the city you live in – but all of a sudden, a disaster strikes. Should you move away? Not necessarily.

When a city finds itself in crisis, people begin to form closer and more caring connections. For instance, in the aftermath of Hurricane Sandy, 33 percent of residents said that the storm brought neighbors together and 36 percent said they’re now connected to neighbors they didn’t know prior to the storm.