Community Happiness Index

1. Community Happiness Index Gwendolyn Hallsmith, Director Department of Planning and Community Development City of Montpelier

2. Indexing Indicators • Types of Indicators • Pressure • State • Response • Familiar Combinations • GNP/GDP • GPI • Pages that Count

3. New Combinations • Whole System Design • Research needs • Tracking and Monitoring • Communicating Indicators • Audience • Messaging • Schedule • Iterative Planning and Policy

4. Community Happiness • Human Needs Framework • Social and Human Development • Empowerment and Responsibility • Economic Wealth • Efficient Services and Infrastructure • Environmental Integrity • Unmet Needs • Underutilized Resources

5. Sustainable Community Plan Definition: A long-term action plan to guide the environmental decisions, infrastructure choices, economic development, governance, and social development of a community. A key consideration in a sustainable community planning process is to address how future generations will meet their needs.

6. Stocks and Regeneration Rates of Human, Governance, Financial and Physical Assets Social, Governance, Economic, and Material Needs Human Needs and Sustainability Capacity Action

7. five requirements for sustainable communities health and well-being empowerment and responsibility economic security  efficient services and infrastructure ecological integrity

8. health and well-being • strong sense of community • rich spiritual life • lifelong education system • arts and cultural activities • recreational opportunities • safe neighborhoods • caring families and relationships • health care for everyone

10. empowerment and responsibility • shared leadership • equity • self-determination • conflict resolution • access • information

11. economic security • meaningful work • income security • equitable creation of wealth

12.  efficient services and infrastructure • affordable housing • efficient buildings and infrastructure • renewable energy • reliable transportation • abundant local goods and services • reliable communication systems

13. environmental integrity • clean air • productive soil • clean and abundant water • healthy ecosystems & biodiversity • natural waste assimilation • climate regulation •pollination

14. Enhancing Assets and Capacities Starting with Strengths Everybody is a Hero Satisfying Needs

15. Integrated Feedback Systems Improved social networks Community spirit Social well-being Empowerment & responsibility Equitable resource distribution Economic security Human and environmental health

16. Understanding Systems

17. Montpelier Indicators • Social and Human Development • Governance • Economics & Livelihoods • Built Environment and Infrastructure • Natural Environment

18. Social and Human Well-Being • Reported Sense of Community • Participation in Neighborhoods • Reported Sense of Safety • Crime Rate • Affordable Child Care • Lifelong Learning Opportunities • Public School Performance • Support and Participation of Elders, People with Disabilities, etc.

19. Good Governance • Responsiveness to Citizen Concerns • Youth Participation in Local Government • Voter Registration • Regional Cooperation • Neighborhood Association Activities • Equitable Voting Districts

20. Vibrant Local Economy • Green Jobs • Livable Wages • GRI Reporting Businesses • Non-essential imports • Locally Produced Food • Exchange Systems • Job Satisfaction and Employment

21. Built Environment • Greenhouse Gas Emissions • Non-renewable energy consumption • Affordable Housing Index • Non-motorized transportation • Average Household Internet Speed • Average Density in Growth Center • Sidewalk Quantity and Quality

22. Natural Environment • Wastewater pollutants • River Water Quality • Green Roofs • Flood storage capacity • Raingardens • Ambient Air Quality • Soil Production

23. The End Questions? Comments?