Why mayors must bring joy to their cities

Mayors are having a moment. From Zohran Mamdani’s impressive win in New York to the rise of the former Mayor of Greater Manchester, devolution is, dare I say it, becoming interesting.

Unlike many political roles, mayoralties offer leaders the chance to make visible change quickly. It was “Manchesterism”, after all, that turned Andy Burnham from “King of the North” into a national political force. And if the new test of politics is “good growth in every postcode and hope in every heart”, then the places we build matter profoundly. Hope isn’t delivered in the abstract. It’s felt in homes, streets, and neighbourhoods.

Armed with the promise of greater powers, bigger budgets and a more central role, England’s metro mayors stand on the cusp of something exciting. Tasked with delivering spatial development strategies, housing, new towns and infrastructure, some are even stepping into the role of developer-in-chief, with leaders like West Midlands Mayor Richard Parker launching a Mayoral Development Corporation.

But are they meeting this moment?

The danger of the “build, baby, build” mindset is that speed and efficiency come at the expense of citizens’ needs. Buildings don’t simply shape skylines; they shape how people feel about their lives, and the places they call home. At a time when pride and belonging are under strain, mayors need to ensure the renaissance of our towns and cities is measured not only in the number of homes delivered, but in the joy created.

If your response is: yes, but we have a housing crisis, we just need to get stuff built, then let me say: it matters to the electorate. Research among residents of England’s post-war New Towns found that only 4% described the buildings in their towns as “nice”. Surely we have greater civic ambition than that?

People don’t want to live in “units” or cookie-cutter, could-be-anywhere estates. Research showed that 8 in 10 people want future New Towns that inspire pride, create belonging and bring joy.

The built fabric of our cities can be harnessed to boost health too. Work from neuroscience and environmental psychology points to the psychological and physiological impacts of dull development on our brains, bodies and behaviours. Three in four people in the UK say buildings impact their mental health. As if we need proof. We all instinctively know the places that lift us up, and those that quietly drag us down.

There’s also an important spatial inequality point here. Joy shouldn’t be reserved for already-prosperous places. It should be present on the streets that need investment, pride and confidence most.

And from an economic perspective, it’s worth remembering that places with character and human appeal attract people, businesses and investment. Bland development may meet a target, but it rarely builds confidence, loyalty or long-term value.

In short, mayors can drive a genuine renaissance, but only if growth is matched by a more human, more ambitious approach to what gets built.

That’s why Humanise has published The Mayors’ Guide: how to build back joy and belonging, setting out practical ways for leaders to resist blandification. Mayors aren’t responsible for the design of individual buildings, but they can set the vision, standards and incentives that make better buildings more likely, and bland, thoughtless development harder to justify.

How do they go about it?

First, mayors need to craft a bold long-term vision for how they want their region, city or town to feel. That vision should be rooted in the distinctive character of the place, guide Spatial Development Strategies, and set expectations for more uplifting buildings.

Second, they need design expertise close to power. A City Architect, or equivalent role, can help ensure new development delivers human-centred outcomes from the start. Mayors also need to be proactive in attracting developers and investors who meet their standards, share their vision and are committed to long-term stewardship.

Third, they should lead by example. Through public investment, land, procurement and incentives, mayors can create the conditions for better design and set a higher bar for what gets built. A highly visible flagship project can help build momentum, showing residents and the market alike that better buildings and more joyful places are possible.

Elsewhere, visionary mayors are changing the game. Anne Hidalgo launched Reinventing Paris, a public competition for 23 city-owned sites that challenged developers to prioritise architectural innovation, civic value and imagination. It encouraged citizens, designers and developers to ask not just “how many units?”, but “what kind of city are we creating?”

If England’s metro mayors are to seize this moment, they must resist the idea that speed and quality are opposing forces. The Joy Factor should be treated as a serious tool of civic leadership: a way to build back pride, belonging and health into everyday life.

First published in The Municipal Journal in 2026. Republished with permission.

Image from our New Towns campaign. Illustration by Heatherwick Studio, based on a Create Streets image released by the Labour party June 2024.