IN A GOOD PLACE
How the Spaces Where We Live, Work, and Play Can Help Us Thrive
IN A GOOD PLACE
How the Spaces Where We Live, Work, and Play Can Help Us Thrive
Through practical wisdom and small shifts, Klotz demonstrates how to take back agency and re-design spaces so we can thrive.
So many books address how to live a good life.
This one is about where.
Weaving together lessons ranging from ancient monuments to modern office layouts, from the neighborhood streets where we learned to ride a bike to the college dorm where we forged lifelong bonds, Leidy Klotz illuminates how small shifts in our physical environment can transform our habits, our relationships, and even who we are.
Readers learn why we perform better on our “home turf” vs in neutral territory, why we thrive in some work environments but not others, why our love of home improvement is an impulse rooted in our evolutionary past, and more. When we understand how our surroundings can either support or thwart our psychological needs, we can create spaces that foster genuine belonging, spark exploration and learning, and connect us – including to our past and to the legacy we leave behind.
At a time when so much of our life is spent in the virtual world, In a Good Place is an invitation to reengage with the physical one. Whether you’re picking a venue for your next birthday party, renovating your kitchen, or deciding which neighborhood to move to, Klotz provides the scientific grounding and practical wisdom for getting the most out of your spaces, and yourself.
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ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Professor @ UVA | Author of IN A GOOD PLACE and SUBTRACT | Keynote Speaker
Leidy Klotz is an award-winning professor, international speaker, and acclaimed author whose groundbreaking research – published in both Nature and Science – has shifted our understanding of how to approach problems and create change. Leidy knows design – the craft of changing things from how they are to how we want them to be. Which, he reminds us, is something we all do every day. His book “SUBTRACT: The Untapped Science of Less” (2021) has translations in eight languages and has sparked breakthroughs in psychology, environment, business, well-being, and education. His next book, “IN A GOOD PLACE: How the Spaces Where We Live, Work, and Play Can Help Us Thrive” (2026), is available now.
Leidy has worked with clients ranging from the Departments of Energy and Homeland Security to CapitalOne and Amazon, and regularly presents at leading universities and organizations. He has been interviewed for Hidden Brain (NPR), Freakonomics, and The Atlantic. And he has written for The Wall Street Journal, Harvard Business Review, Scientific American, and The Washington Post.
An experienced educator, Leidy has taught thousands of students as a professor at the University of Virginia, including 21 Ph.D. advisees whose designs and teaching shape the world. Diversity and inclusion are core tenets of Leidy’s work, as more than three quarters of his advisees are from groups underrepresented in their respective fields.
Before he taught design, Leidy designed schools in New Jersey. And before that, he played professional soccer.
BOOK PRAISES
“Leidy Klotz provides a fascinating exploration of an overlooked idea: The spaces in which you live and work really matter! I came away bursting with new ideas about improving the spaces in my own life.”
“I loved this book from the very first page. Its powerful insights into how the spaces we inhabit shape our well-being and sense of belonging offer a fresh new perspective for leaders and educators alike. Combining research with practical advice, Leidy Klotz makes the invisible influence of our environments accessible and actionable. For anyone who wants to create spaces where people can truly thrive, In a Good Place is the perfect guide.”
“In a Good Place changes how you see the rooms, streets, and shared spaces of your life, and what they make possible. Blending rigorous science with lived experience, Leidy Klotz creates a clear, generous guide to shaping spaces that support us in living well.”
“Our ancestors read landscapes for survival. Now we scroll through phones in climate-controlled rooms and wonder why we’re anxious. In a Good Place gives us the tools to reconnect with our physical world. With science, clarity, and practical wisdom, Leidy Klotz reveals territory no one else has explored. This is a genuinely original and important book.”
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