By Sally Gambrell Bridgford

Many of you know how important awe is to us at The Gambrell Foundation. We have been on a continual journey to better incorporate awe and wonder into our daily lives, and that is a large reason why we partnered with Gehl, a group of strategists who are dedicated to making sure we can all live greatly in our cities.

The folks at Gehl really get people, and they have a deep understanding of how the places and spaces around us have a deep impact on our well-being. Through our partnership, Gehl created In Awe of Charlotte, a research initiative that explores the profound connection between awe and the city. I had the pleasure of chatting with Sophia Schuff, a director and urban anthropologist at Gehl, about some of their approaches to designing with awe in the cities they’ve worked in all around the world.

1. What motivates Gehl’s work to transform cities?

Gehl is driven by the belief that cities should be designed for life first — where both people and the planet can thrive. This means shaping urban spaces that nurture connection, health, and joy or play by prioritizing walkability, accessibility, and a vibrant ever-evolving public life. As architects, social scientists, and data analysts, we’ve spent over 25 years championing public life, and today, we’re inspired by new questions: How can cities spark positive emotions, strengthen our sense of belonging, or help us find meaning in daily life? These are the ideas guiding our work as we continue to shape cities for a better future. As rapid urbanization reshapes the world, these questions are more urgent than ever. Cities face mounting pressures — from climate change to social inequality and political polarization — making it crucial to design urban environments that really support both resilience and well-being simultaneously. Therefore, we put people and planet at the center of urban transformation to create cities that don’t just accommodate growth but elevate the human experience.

2. Can you tell me about some of the ways Gehl goes beyond designing and planning to make tangible changes within the cities you’ve helped to transform?

We try to work directly with communities, policymakers, and local leaders to create real, measurable change. Our approach varies depending on the place, culture, and willingness to engage, but it always starts with listening. We bring policymakers out from behind their desks to experience the city firsthand — because we believe the best decisions are made from the street. We also implement pilot projects to test ideas in real time, using hyper-local insights to tackle complex, systemic challenges. By bringing together big thinkers, community members, and problem-solvers, we prototype innovative solutions that can scale. Through data collection, and public participation we can turn visionary ideas or people’s unique and important lived stories into lasting, meaningful solutions — ensuring that change is felt at eye level where daily life happens.

3. How does Gehl incorporate sustainability and climate-friendly approaches within your work?

Sustainability often gets diluted in the real estate and development sector, but we work to ensure it remains a core principle of our projects. We prioritize walkable and bike-friendly streets, integrate green and blue infrastructure where possible, and leverage urban design to make sustainable choices effortless—like taking public transit or spending time in nature. Research shows that cities generate over 70% of global CO₂ emissions, with transportation and buildings as the biggest contributors. By designing compact, mixed-use neighborhoods, we can help reduce car dependency, lower emissions, and improve public health. But sustainability isn’t just about design—it’s about action. One of the biggest challenges is translating climate goals into political will and achievable development strategies, and that’s where we focus on working with policymakers and local communities to turn ambitious ideas into something tangible.

4. How does awe influence the way people experience cities like Charlotte?

The feeling of awe is the feeling of being amazed by things outside of the self and having a moment where you feel small in comparison to the world around you. Research shows that experiencing awe can reduce stress, improve cognitive function, and strengthen social connections. Cities, as dynamic and densely populated places, have the potential to bring awe into everyday life, transforming routine moments into sources of inspiration and joy. But when urban spaces are poorly designed, they can contribute to isolation rather than connection. Designing streets, parks, and neighborhoods with belonging and joy in mind isn’t just good urbanism—it’s a public health necessity.

We’ve found that in cities like Charlotte, moments of awe can come from the places and the people that animate them — hearing beautiful music on the street, feeling small under the canopy of the old-growth trees, or participating in community-organized events. A city that nurtures awe doesn’t just function — it makes people feel safe enough to wander, provides shared moments of joy or play, and reinforces the feeling that we are part of something bigger.

5. What does it mean to you to Live Greatly?

To us, living greatly means feeling like your city cares for you — that your environment supports your well-being, that you feel safe and inspired to explore, that you’re connected to a community, and that delight is woven into daily experiences. Since our environment shapes 80% of our well-being, the design of our cities plays a huge role in determining whether we feel safe, can easily meet others, or have access to nature in our daily routines. When cities make the healthy choice the easy choice, they help people flourish.

We believe designing for well-being means designing for everyday life. A neighborhood that supports living greatly is one where streets invite people to walk and bike, parks and public spaces encourage gathering, and homes, jobs, and services are equitably distributed and accessible. It’s a place where public life flourishes — where the urban fabric prioritizes people over cars, connection over isolation, and joy over mere functionality. Creating these kinds of cities requires a neighborhood-level approach, where we listen to communities and leverage the power of design to respond to their needs. There’s no one-size-fits-all solution, but to live greatly is to live in a place that supports, nurtures, and inspires public life to thrive.

Why Our Relationship with Technology Needs a Revolution

By Larissa May

Ten years ago, when I started this journey, we were worried about Instagram filters warping our sense of self. Now? We’re grappling with deepfakes that can clone our voices and replicate our entire beings. The dopamine hits we once got from notifications? They’re nothing compared to the immersive AI experiences being designed in Silicon Valley’s labs. History isn’t just repeating itself – it’s evolving at record speed.

The average American teen spends 7-8 hours daily on screens – that amounts to nearly 30 years of their life. The core of what humans are seeking through tools like technology has always been connection, validation, and belonging. Much of the advancement in AI and social media is really about our fundamental human desires finding new digital expressions.

But here’s what gives me hope: just as we learned to navigate the world of filters and curated feeds, we can learn to thrive in this new AI landscape. The solution isn’t to fear technology or try to outrun it — it’s to develop the wisdom to use it mindfully and the strength to maintain our humanity in the face of artificial intelligence.

The digital wellness revolution needs to evolve too. It’s no longer enough to talk about screen time and social media breaks. We need to prepare ourselves and our young people for a world where AI is as common as smartphones are today, building practices that help us maintain our authentic selves in an increasingly artificial world.

At #HalfTheStory, we believe transformation happens through empowerment, not fear. Instead of telling teens what not to do, we inspire them to reimagine their relationship with technology on their own terms. We’ve learned that lasting change comes when young people discover their own path to digital wellness, creating boundaries that feel authentic to them rather than following rules imposed from above. This is why we focus on building agency, fostering creativity, and celebrating small wins that lead to bigger transformations. When teens feel empowered to shape their digital lives, they naturally gravitate toward choices that enhance rather than diminish their human experience.

For 2025, our teens are taking control with powerful, actionable commitments:

“I pledge to read as many books as the hours I spend on my phone each day,” shares one teen. Another commits to “taking 10 minutes daily to write down 3 things that went right, focusing on the positive instead of endless scrolling.”

Their resolutions reflect a deep understanding of digital wellbeing:

• “No more phone first thing in the morning – my day starts with me, not my screen”
• “TikTok gets one hour max – no more doomscrolling”
• “DND mode when I’m with family and friends – real connections come first”
• “Creating content instead of just consuming it”
• “Screen-free weekends to disconnect and recharge”

What’s powerful about these resolutions is that they come from the teens themselves – they’re not rules imposed by adults, but conscious choices made by young people who understand the importance of digital wellness. They’re choosing to limit their screen time, set boundaries, and use technology in ways that enhance rather than diminish their human experience.

This is our moment to write a new chapter in the story of human-technology interaction. The question isn’t whether history will repeat itself — it’s whether we’ll be prepared to write a better story this time around. What will your digital wellness revolution look like in 2025?

In January, I visited the Designmuseum Denmark in Copenhagen and stumbled upon an exhibit called “Bottled Ponderings.” It’s an old-style cabinet filled with over 300 tiny “medicine” vials, each labeled with something that affects our well-being—everything from passion and relationships to narcissism and loneliness. This quirky display reminded me that tackling well-being involves looking at the whole person rather than applying quick fixes. If we focus on just one issue or emotion, we risk overlooking the richness and complexity of the human experience.

This is exactly what came to mind as I thought about Valentine’s Day—a day that can mean love, kindness, and romance for some, but loneliness, loss, and longing for others, and yet passes like any other day for many. Like the exhibit’s vials, Valentine’s Day highlights how diverse (and sometimes contradictory) our feelings can be. The Gambrell Foundation’s work is grounded in recognizing and embracing this complexity. Along with our partners in the US and Europe, we ask big questions about what it means to live a “Great Life”—questions that inevitably touch on belonging, relationships, awe, and wonder, even during the sometimes “cringeworthy” holidays.

Ultimately, that’s our hope: to create environments where everyone, regardless of their background or circumstances, can find purpose and feel their contributions matter. Because if we celebrate all the facets of human well-being—from the bittersweet to the joyful—we’re one step closer to building communities that genuinely support each other through every high life has to offer and every low it can throw at us.

With Love,

By Sally Gambrell Bridgford

Over the past few weeks, I, like many of you, have been inundated with news updates and alerts that have had me more attached to my phone than I would like. I can only imagine what the digital world must feel like for the young people in our lives right now. In recognizing the broader issue of our healthy (or unhealthy) digital habits and how they may limit our ability to live a Great Life, I want to introduce Larissa May, founder and CEO of #HalfTheStory, who is leading a digital revolution for our young people and creating an online ecosystem that works better for us all.

As we all look to find more opportunities for connection and supporting all of our mental health and well-being, The Gambrell Foundation’s work with #HalfTheStory will support creating new standards for all of our digital engagement. I spoke with Larissa about her work with #HalfTheStory and how she sees the future of digital wellness.

1. Can you tell me more about what inspired you to start #HalfTheStory?

Ten years ago, sitting in my Vanderbilt University dorm room, I hit rock bottom — caught in the grip of an addiction that plunged me into the darkest period of my life. Desperate for answers, I dragged myself to the Campus Psych Center. The doctor went through the standard checklist: alcohol, romantic partners, and drugs. But not once did they ask about the real drug — the one sitting in my pocket. My phone.

That night, everything clicked. I realized I wasn’t alone — I was just one of millions of young people silently struggling with the crushing weight of technology. I knew I had to transform my pain into purpose. I had my lightbulb moment: social media is only #HalfTheStory.

During my senior year, what started as a simple art project exploded into something bigger: a nationwide movement that spread across college campuses. This became #HalfTheStory, a non-profit dedicated to helping teens build healthier relationships with social media and technology.

2. How does your work help young people overcome challenges with their relationship to social media?

As the first youth-led non-profit of its kind, #HalfTheStory focuses on progressing education and advocacy work surrounding social media and tech use. Through its evidence-based education program, Social Media U, students in rural and urban communities across the U.S., U.K., and Canada are taught the skills needed to have a healthy relationship with their screens and are empowered to understand and advocate for their digital health. In 2024, #HalfTheStory announced a new national education partnership with Girls Inc. to support girls in underserved communities across the country.

3. What does digital wellness look like for you and the young people in the #HalfTheStory network?

Digital wellness means using technology in a way that supports emotional health and positive digital habits. This means teaching kids emotional resilience skills to thrive in the digital age.

I’ve learned that digital wellness is an inside job. In other words, what is going on inside our heads often impacts our tech habits, and our tech habits do the same to our emotions. Digital wellness is wellness, and like every other form of wellness like physical, emotional, or sleep, the only constant is change! We are always evolving.

4. What’s it like working directly with young people to champion solutions for our digital world?

Essential! I always say that teen work makes the dream work. #HalfTheStory teens are critical to our business and our success. They inform the work we do, from helping design the education programs we put into place, to coming up with marketing campaigns, to running our socials and writing our substack.

Part of the reason #HalfTheStory’s educational programming is so effective is because we always make sure there is a teen in the room where decisions are being made about them. In practice, our impact comes to life through teen-powered programs that create real change.

Our Screen-Free campaigns are completely youth-led and owned. Teens design and run their own digital wellness challenges in their schools and communities. They’re not just following a script — they’re creating innovative ways to help their peers build healthier relationships with technology.

#HalfTheStory’s Youth Civics Academy takes our mission to the next level. We empower young leaders to engage with policymakers and tech companies directly. Our teen advocates have testified before state legislatures, contributed to digital safety bills, and participated in roundtables with major social media platforms. They’re not just talking about change — they’re actively shaping the future of tech policy.

5. What does it mean to you to Live Greatly?

My friends refer to me as “livinlikelarz.” I like to think I live each day like it’s my last — to live with a heart wide open, shoot for the stars, let dreams come true and break free! I’ve always lived with purpose at the center, which makes it easy to never feel like I’m “working!”