Roads to happiness
Rethinking and building Linz back better

Something is afoot in the city. Curiosity is in the air and there is an unmistakable longing for change. Crucial questions demand an answer: Where are we heading? What is the limit? Which qualities define a liveable city? What makes us happy? Is it true that everyone is the architect of his own fortune?
The exhibition Roads to Happiness addressed these questions by introducing to the public people who had put rethinking and building back better at the centre of their lives: roughly thirty-five projects told as many stories of good neighbourliness, community, sustainable food, interdisciplinary use of urban space, innovation, and self-empowerment. The city became a test lab, and individual initiatives boosted diversity. While the focus was clearly on Linz, this did not mean that the inhabitants of other cities did not get their say, too.

Taking its cue from the exhibition, the Nordico issued an invitation to all comers to join in, an invitation that took the form of a multifaceted programme of events: an open lab was designed to serve as a meeting and experimentation zone; city tours and workshops encouraged the formation of urban cliques. This ideally resulted in new approaches, networks, and communities. The idea was building back better. The so-called Linzer Zimmer showcased a contribution on the theme ​“Happy Place” by the screen-printing workshop overseen by Monika Pichler of the Kunstuniversität Linz. Realised by students, ​“Happy Place” challenged visitors to set out in search of happiness.

As part of the exhibition, the Nordico also received Linz’s first public bicycle service station, and an open bookcase and a give-and-take shop were located in the forecourt for the time of the exhibition period.

Curator, idea, concept: Klaudia Kreslehner

Architecture: mia2/​ARCHITEKTUR, Co-worker: Nina Bammer

The following projects and initiatives were presented in the exhibition

Bikekitchen Linz / City of Respect / Egon-Hoffmann-Haus / Einkaufsgemeinschaft Linz / Foodsharing / FragNebenan / Franck Kistl / frauklarer / Hut & Stiel / KAMA Linz / Leisenhofgärtnerei / Linzer Lerntafel / LinzerBiene / luft*raum / migrare / More: Zeichenworkshop / Nähküche / Neue Nachbarn / OTELO / Papplab / Pumpipumpe / Raubdruckerin / RAUM_WAGEN / RAUMSCHIFF / SALON Franziska / Schwarzwaldgold / SOMA Linz & Café SOMA / Turmeremit im Linzer Mariendom / querDENKRAUM® / Velodrom Linz / Vollpension / Willy*Fred / Zquetschtn Zwetschkn