Six characteristics can make any city in the world beautiful, says pop philosophy group The School of Life. This video tells us what they are.

Alain de Botton, the author of The Architecture of Happiness, founded The School of Life as a kind of think tank for everyday life.

According to the video, whether a city is pretty or ugly hinges on its balance of variety and order, how much life is on its streets, whether it brings people close together while keeping them comfortable, how much mystery exists within it, the scale of its buildings, and whether or not it’s unique.

The video says these factors come from fundamental human preferences. They make it obvious that a city that’s close-knit and vibrant is better than one that’s full of parking lots and “soulless” skyscrapers.

DC stacks up great in some ways, and could be better in others

DC is very compact, and it’s built to a human scale. For example, the video talks about squares making people feel contained but not claustrophobic, and we have our own version of squares in circles and pocket parks.

On the other hand, while many of us love the L’Enfant City, it lends itself to planned districts where there isn’t any mystique. And as the video’s narrator tells us, “Excessive order can be… a problem. Too much regularity can be soul destroying. Too much order feels rigid and alien. It can be bleak, relentless and harsh.”

How would you apply some of these attributes of attractive cities to improving the Washington region?

Edward Russell is an air transport reporter by day with a passion for all things transportation. He is a resident of Eckington and tweets frequently about planes, trains and bikes.