ALONG FOR THAT RIDE.
THATS A COOL ASSIGNMENT.
>> IT WAS VERY COOL.
WHAT AN ADVENTURE ITS BEEN. DO YOU KNOW THAT ABOUT 40% OF
YOUR HAPPINESS IS DICTATED BY
YOUR GENES, ABOUT 15% BY YOUR
ENVIRONMENT BUT THAT LEAVES 45% UP TO YOU.T BUT THAT LEAVES 45%
UP TO YOU. FEW HAVE THAT EXTRA HAPPINESS
FIGURED OUT LIKE THE DANES.
CAN A BIKE LANE LEAD TO A
HAPPIER LIFE? IN COPENHAGEN THIS IS HOW HALF
THE CITY GETS AROUND.
>> THIS CITY BICYCLES MORE THAN ANY OTHER CITY ON EARTH.RE THAN
ANY OTHER CITY ON EARTH. >> Reporter: ITS INCREDIBLE.
EVERYWHERE YOU GO, THERE ARE BICYCLES.E YOU GO, THERE ARE
BICYCLES.
>> 1.2 MILLION KILOMETERS PER DAY..2 MILLION KILOMETERS PER
DAY.
THATS EQUIVALENT OF 35 TRIPS AROUND THE WORLDP.F 35 TRIPS
AROUND THE WORLDP. THE CITY OF COPENHAGEN FIGURES
IT SAVES $15 BILLION A YEAR
BECAUSE PEOPLE ARE BIKING TO
WORK INSTEAD OF DRIVING.
>> Reporter: DAVE BUETTNER SAYS
THAT GIVES THEM SOMETHING ELSE TO TALK ABOUT.M SOMETHING ELSE
TO TALK ABOUT. DENVER IS RANKED AS ONE OF THE
40 HAPPIEST PLACES ON EARTH.
>> THE HAPPIEST PEOPLE IN THE
WORLD ARE INTERACTING
FACE-TO-FACE LIKE WE ARE RIGHT
NOW SIX TO SEVEN HOURS A DAY.
YOU CANT DO THAT WHEN YOURE IN
YOUR CAR.
YOUR CAR.
>> Reporter: BUT HE SAYS BIKES ARE JUST ONE WAY THAT THE DANES
MAKE LIFE LESS STRESSED AND MORE
JOYFUL.
JOYFUL.
>> WHEN I THINK OF HAPPINESS, I THINK OF HOW MUCH PLEASURE YOUI
THINK OF HOW MUCH PLEASURE YOU HAVE IN YOUR LIFE.
HOW MUCH PRIDE YOU HAVE WITH
YOUR LIFE AND LIVING WITH A
SENSE OF PURPOSE.
>> Reporter: HERE NO JOB IS LESS
THAN ANY OTHER.
>> DO YOU HAVE ANY HESITATION
TELLING PEOPLE YOURE A GARBAGE
MAN?
>> NO, NO.
>> ITS A JOB YOU CAN BE PROUD OF?ITS A JOB YOU CAN BE PROUD
OF?
>> YES.
>> Reporter: ALLEN CHRISTIANSON JUST WORKS FIVE HOURS A DAY BUT
EARNING THE SAME AS A SCHOOL
TEACHER.
TEACHER.
ON A SCALE OF ONE TO TEN, HOW HAPPY ARE YOU?ONE TO TEN, HOW
HAPPY ARE YOU? >> I WOULD SAY MAYBE EIGHT,
YEAH.
YEAH.
>> AMBITION IS NOT CELEBRATED.
NO MATTER WHAT YOU DO, YOURE NO
BETTER THAN ANYBODY ELSE. >> Reporter: AN AMERICAN CLOCKS
IN 50 HOURS A WEEK.
>> HERE 37 HOURS.
AND THEY HAVE A CLEAR
PUNCTURATION
PUNCTURATION PUNCTUATION BETWEEN WORK LIFE
AND LIFE.
AND LIFE. >> Reporter: BUT THE REST OF THE
TIME SHE CAN RELAX WITH YOUR
FAMILY AND ONE OF DENMARKS
CO-HOUSING COMMUNITIES.
CO-HOUSING COMMUNITIES. >> THEY CALL IT NOT QUITE A
FRIEND BUT MORE THAN A NEIGHBOR.
THEY CAN COUNT ON THIS SUPPORT.
MOTHERS DONT HAVE TO WORRY SO
MUCH ABOUT CHILD CARE.
IN DENMARK YOU GET A YEAR OFF.
>> Reporter: PAID.
>> PAID.
>> PAID.
>> DO YOU LOCK YOUR DOOR? >> DURING THE DAY?R DOOR?
>> DURING THE DAY? NEVER.
NEVER.
>> Reporter: OUT ON THE SIDEWALK ALL BY HERSELF.T ON THE SIDEWALK
ALL BY HERSELF. THERES A BABY.
>> YOUD BE ARRESTED IN NEW YORK
FOR THAT.
FOR THAT. >> TRUST AUTO IS EVEN MORE
IMPORTANT THAN WEALTH WHEN IT
COMES TO HAPPINESS.
THERES A FEELING HERE IN
DENMARK THAT NOTHING TOO BAD
WILL EVER HAPPEN TO YOU.
>> Reporter: DANES TRUST THEIR
GOVERNMENT.
GOVERNMENT.
THEY PAY ENORMOUSLY HIGH TAXES.
>> EVERY DANE IS BORN WITH THE
RIGHT TO FREE HEALTHCARE, FREE
EDUCATION THROUGH COLLEGE,
COMFORTABLE RETIREMENT.
THEYRE FREE TO PURSUE A JOB
THAT MEETS THEIR PASSIONS AND THEIR INTERESTS. PASSIONS AND
THEIR INTERESTS. >> Reporter: ALEX MONROES
PASSION IS THIS PALACE.
HIS FAMILYS HOME FOR EIGHT
GENERATIONS.
GENERATIONS.
HOW MANY BEDROOMS DO YOU HAVE? >> BEDROOMS, THATS A GOODHAVE?
>> BEDROOMS, THATS A GOOD QUESTION.
QUESTION.
>> Reporter: IT WASNT DESIGNED TO BE A HARD ONE.ASNT DESIGNED
TO BE A HARD ONE. HES HOUSEKEEPER, BUTLER AND
HANDYMAN OF THIS GORGEOUS BUT
SOMEWHAT CRUMBLING ESTATE.
YOU TAKE OUT THE GARBAGE HERE.
>> DEFINITELY.
>> DEFINITELY. >> Reporter: YOURSELF.
>> OH, YEAH.
>> Reporter: THIS PART OF DANISH
HISTORY PRESERVED FOR EVERYONE.
>> I WOULD PUT MYSELF AT A SEVEN
OR SOMETHING LIKE THAT.
I STILL LOOK FORWARD TO FINDING
THE WOMAN OF MY LIFE AND HAVING
KIDS.
KIDS.
MY LEVEL OF JOY AND HAPPINESS
CAN GO UP.
>> Reporter: THERE WILL BE A LOT
OF PEOPLE WATCHING THIS WHO SAY
THEY CAN TAKE YOU RIGHT UP THERE
TO A NINE.
IF YOU NEED MORE PROOF OF JUST
HOW HAPPY THEY ARE HERE, LOOK WHAT THE GARBAGE MAN DOES WHEN
ANOTHER TRUCK GOT IN HIS WAY.
WE THOUGHT HE WAS GOING TO YELL
AT THE GUY BECAUSE THATS WHAT
WOULD HAVE HAPPENED IN NEW YORK.
BUT NO.
BUT NO.
>> SO DANISH ROAD RAGE IS HE GOT
OUT AND ASKED IF I CAN GET OUT
OF THE WAY.
>> Reporter: DO I NEED TO MOVE? YOU DONT HAVE ROOM ENOUGH?MOVE?
YOU DONT HAVE ROOM ENOUGH? OH, YEAH.
OH, YEAH.
>> EVERYBODY HAS THAT ATTITUDE, YOU HAVE A LOWER BASELINE OFDE,
YOU HAVE A LOWER BASELINE OF STRESS.
STRESS.
>> Reporter: SORRY, SORRY, SORRY.orter: SORRY, SORRY,
SORRY.
CANT STOP. WHICH CERTAINLY HELPED ME AND MY
PRODUCER.
PRODUCER.
JAKE, WERE GETTING WEIRD LOOKS. ON OUR OWN SEARCH FOR HAPPINESS.
>> FOR A WOMAN WHO COULDNT
FIGURE OUT HOW TO WORK HER
BRAKE, YOU WERE PHENOMENAL.
>> Reporter: IN FAIRNESS, THEY
WERE FOOT BRAKES AND THEY WERE
TRICKY.
TRICKY.
HERE IN AMERICA THE AMOUNT OF TIME WE SPEND IN OUR CARS HAS
TRIPLED SINCE THE 1970s AND THAT
IS NOT MAKING US HAPPIER.