The Role of Sustainable Environmental Indicators in Urban Happiness: A Study of Al-Amir Neighborhood in Al-Najaf City, Iraq

Happy Cities aims to enhance sustainable well-being by creating a sustainable, balanced urban setting.This research seeks to examine the influence of sustainable environmental indicators on the happiness of locals.The Al-Amir neighborhood of the city of Najaf was chosen as a case study due to its high population density, rapid urban expansion, and status as one of Najaf's most significant urban communities.Additionally, there are obvious environmental imbalances that affect people's comfort, pleasure, and satisfaction both directly and indirectly.The research demonstrates its importance through an in-depth analysis of the role of five key sustainable environmental indicators-air quality, green spaces, noise, thermal comfort, and waste management-on residents' happiness.Based on a field analytical technique, the study evaluated the relationship between sustainable environmental indicators and population satisfaction utilizing a population survey, field measurement devices, and Pearson correlation coefficient analysis (P).According to the findings, noise and air quality are the next most important sustainable environmental factors that affect population satisfaction, followed by green spaces and thermal comfort levels, while the impact of waste management was comparatively small.Copenhagen was examined as a cutting-edge worldwide model that has successfully incorporated sustainable environmental indicators into urban design, hence enhancing quality of life, to demonstrate the effect of environmental planning on raising population happiness.The research recommends adopting the Copenhagen experience to develop and improve the environment in Al-Amir neighborhood, particularly by increasing green spaces, improving thermal comfort and ventilation, reducing noise sources, and developing waste management, which contributes to achieving a comfortable, sustainable, and happier urban environment.