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Buy a home on a street with a boulevard of trees and, studies suggest, you’ll be as happy as if you had a $10,000 raise.

Put windows along the front of your house, and cosy it up to the street — about three meters from the sidewalk. That gives you the best chance of both keeping your privacy and knowing your neighbours. Again, a happiness booster.

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The city is currently conducting an online survey seeking public opinion on zoning rules for mature neighbourhoods — that is, standards that should be adopted for infill homes or improvements to existing homes. The questions tackle a range of topics, including minimum setbacks from the front and sides of a property, maximum width of a veranda, and privacy issues around placement of windows. The last day to complete the survey is Monday, June 27.

With that process underway, we thought it is a good time to ask the question: Is it possible to zone for happiness?

The answer? Absolutely.

Author Charles Montgomery and his research assistant Houssam Elokda explored this question in the book Happy City: Transforming our lives through urban design.

Here are five ways they say zoning rules could gradually make our neighbourhoods happier.

1. Allow density near transit and shopping streets