Seattle Happiness Report Card 2011

7/31/2019 Seattle Happiness Report Card 2011

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Happiness Report Card for Seattle

The Happiness Initiative

2011


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2011HappinessReportCardforSeattle

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Contents

Introduction 3

Executive Summary 4

Background 6The Happiness Data 7

Seattles Happiness Report Card 8

The domains of happiness 9

Survey results 10Where we are thriving 11

Where we are hurting 11

Trends in the survey data 13Which Seattle neighborhoods are happier places? 13

Does money make you happy? 18

Are men happier than women? 20Young people appear less happy 21

Are married people happier? 22

What will make you happy? 23Does the environment make you (un)happy? 24Does having no time make you unhappy? 24Community makes you happy 25

Objective indicators 27Psychological Well-Being 27Material Well-Being 28

Health 29Community Vitality 29

Cultural Vitality 30Governance 32

Ecological Vitality 32

Time Balance 33

Recommendations 34Next Steps and Conclusion 35

Appendix A:

Breakdown of component scores for domains 36


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IntroductionAsweissuethefirstHappinessReportCardforthecityofSeattle,theOccupymovementisinfullforceinourcity,ournationandaroundtheworld.AtnotimehasitbeenmoreclearthatGrossDomesticProduct,short-termbusinessprofit,andpersonalwealthprovideanincompletepictureofsocietalneeds,opportunitiesandsuccesses.Weneedanewwayto

measureandmanageahappy,healthy,andfairfutureforourcitiesandtowns,ourbusinesses,ourcampusesandourownlives.

TheHappinessInitiativeisanationalprojectdesignedtotransformcommunitiesacrossthecountry.ItisanewqualityoflifemovementbaseduponmeasuresofcivicsuccessandprosperityintheplaceofGNPandothertraditionalmeasures.Theprojectprovidespolicymakerswithinformation,awareness,tools,technicalassistanceandservicessothatanyonecanconductaHappinessInitiativeintheirowncommunity.Italsoprovidesindividualswithaguidefordeeperawarenessandameansforamorethoughtfulassessmentoftheirownlives.

TheSeattleAreaHappinessInitiativeisthefirstprojectofTheHappinessInitiative.CitiesandcampusesinWisconsin,Iowa,Californiaandotherstateshavenowstartedtheirown

HappinessInitiatives.TheywillbelookingtoSeattle,andthisreport,toguidetheirefforts.

TheHappinessInitiativeisbasedonBhutansefforttomeasureGrossNationalHappiness,atermusedtoconveyacommitmenttobuildinganeconomythatwouldserveBhutan'suniqueculturebasedonBuddhistspiritualvalues.ItalsospeakstotheoriginalAmericandreamoflife,libertyandpursuitofhappiness.Usingthismodel,happinessismeasuredbyaninteractivesurveythatanyonecantake(gotowww.happycounts.orgtotakethesurvey).Thesurveyisakeytomeasuringhappinessbecauseitprovidespeoplesownassessmentoftheirlivesandourcity.TheHappinessReportCardusessurveydatatounderstandwherepeoplefeeltheyarehurting,andwheretheyarethriving.Surveyresultsarecomplementedbyobjectivedatathatgiveamorebalancedpictureofourhappiness,orwellbeing.

TheSeattleCityCouncilwasthefirstgovernmentalbodyintheUnitedStatestoofficiallyproclaimthatitwouldtakeintoaccountthesurveyresultsandobjectivedataforpolicydecisionsandresourceallocation.

ThisreportistheresultofthousandsofvolunteerworkhoursbymembersoftheHappinessInitiativecoreteam.Theteamconductedthesurvey,gatheredtheobjectiveindicatordataandcompiledthereport,allwhileworkingtoobtainprojectfundingsotheworkcancontinue.Weareinspiredtodothisworkbecausewebelievethatwhatwearedoingisdeeplyneededatthiscriticaltimeinourcountryshistory.

Afterreadingthisreport,weaskyoutojoinusintheefforttotransformourcityandothersintojust,healthyandhappycommunitieswhereallpeoplehaveequalopportunitiestopursuehappiness.WeinviteyoutotaketheHappinessInitiativesurveybyvisitinghappycounts.org,andtoexplorewithotherswhatitreallymeanstobehappy.

Last,wearedeeplygratefulfortheopportunitytodothiswork.Therewardofcontributingtoabetterfutureforallofusinspiresusnowandfortomorrow.

Ingratitude,

TheHappinessInitiativeTeam:LauraMusikanski,JohndeGraaf,EldanGoldenberg,TimFlynn.AndrewCozinandSekaiSenwosret,andthemanywonderfulvolunteersandadvisorswhohelpedalongtheway.


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Executive SummaryAreSeattleiteshappy?TheHappinessInitiativemeasureshappinessalongninedomainsofwellbeing:

o Materialwellbeing

o Governance

o Environmentandaccesstonature

o Health

o Psychologicalwellbeing

o Timebalance

o Community,Culture

o Education

Italsoasksquestionsaboutaffectourmostrecentemotionsandoverallsatisfactionwithlife.Itdoesthiswithasurveycomplementedbyobjectiveindicators.

InSeattle,wescoredlowestinourtimebalance,a43outof100,communityparticipation,(oneofthreecomponentsofthecommunityvitalitydomain)at41.7outof100andourenvironment,45.8outof100.Wearealsonotsatisfiedwithgovernment,only57.5outof100.Theobjectiveindicatorsfortheenvironmenttellasimilarstory;forexample,greenhousegasesincreasedbetween2005and2008.Whenitcomestotime-balance,theaveragecommutetimeforSeattleitesat26.8minutesonaveragehasnotgottenworse,butisstillhigh.Communityvitalityandgovernance,accordingtoourobjectiveindicators,haveimproved,withfewerviolentcrimesreportedandmoreregisteredvoterssendinginballots.

Ourhighestscoresareinpsychologicalandmaterialwell-being,at77.8and73.1respectively.Butobjectiveindicatorstellasomewhatdifferentstory.Thedemandfordomesticviolencesupportserviceshasincreasedfrom2189requestsforservicesinonedayinWashingtonStateto3518.Moreover,ourannualincomepercapitadroppedbetween2008and2009.Oneexplanationforthismightbetherelativeprosperityofthosewhotookthevoluntarysurvey.Ourdatacanbeenhancedbyamorerepresentativesampling.Webelievethatafullerunderstandingofhappiness,orwell-being,andsustainability,canhelpusinmeasuringandmanagingourfuture.

Onepotentiallytroublingsurveyfindingwasthatyouth,ages19-24,areamongtheunhappiestsegmentsofourpopulation:theyfeelhappy(affect),andscorelowerthanothergroupswhenwemeasuretheirtimebalanceorcommunityparticipation.Theytrust

peoplelessanddonotfeelasstrongasenseofsocialsupport.Thisiscertainlyaconcern,particularlyinthesetoughtimes.Asyet,theseresultshavenotbeenduplicatedbyothersurveys,includingGallups.However,oursurveyaskspeopleabouttheirwell-beinginaholisticcontext,andthismayhaveanimpactontheresults.Itmayalsobearesultofthefactthatthepeoplewhotookthesurveyareself-selectedandinthecaseofyoungpeople,mayhavechosentotakeitbecausetheyarelesssatisfiedwiththeirlives.Inanycase,theresultsstronglyindicateaneedformoreextensivesurveyworktodeterminewhetherornotthetrendstowardgreaterunhappinessamong19-24yearoldsindicatedinoursurveyresultsaresignificant.


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ThesurveyalsorevealedthatpeopleinSouthSeattleare,forthemostpart,lesshappythaninotherneighborhoods.Thisisnotashock,butitisimportanttonotethatthesurveyisaself-assessmentofhowwherewearehurtingandwherewearethriving.ThismeanspeopleinthesouthernneighborhoodsofSeattlefeeltheyarenotdoingaswellasthoseinournorthern,higher-incomeneighborhoods.

SowhatcanSeattleitesdotobehappier?Buildcommunity .Thisisnumberone.Strongtieswithfamilyandfriends,asenseoftrust,andactiveparticipationwithnonprofits,informalgroupsorothercommunityactivitiesincreaseshappiness.Peoplewholivewithotherpeople,frommarriedcouplestopeoplesharinghomesandsinglemotherswithchildren,arehappierthanthosewholivealone.Oneofthemostimportantthingswecandotoimprovelevelsofhappinessistostrengthenoursenseofcommunity.

Helpresidentsimprovetheirsenseoftimebalance .Forindividuals,thatmightmeanspendingmoretimedoingthethingstheyenjoyandwithpeopleyoulove,andfindingwaystotakethingsoffyourplate.Improvingincomemattersuntilfamiliesearnabout$75,000.Ifyoumakethismuchormore,youarenotgoingtobethatmuchhappierbymakingmore

money.TheHappinessReportgivesmoredetailabouttheseresults.


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BackgroundTheSeattleAreaHappinessInitiativewaslaunchedasSustainableSeattlesfifthsetofindicators.SustainableSeattlewasfoundedin1991byateamofsustainabilityadvocatesincludingVickiRobin,AlanAtKissonandcurrentSeattleCityCouncilPresidentRichardConlin.SustainableSeattlebroughtawiderangeofarearesidentstogethertocreatethe

worldsfirstsetofregionalwell-being/sustainabilityindicators,releasedin1993.TheorganizationwashonoredforitsworkbytheUnitedNationsin1995.Insubsequentyears,SustainableSeattlereleasedthreeadditionaliterationsofindicators.The4thsetofindicators,B-Sustainableincludedover180objectiveindicators.Thefirstfoursetsofindicatorsusedonlyobjectivedata.Thisinformationwasimportantandhelpfultopolicymakers,butthesheernumberofindicatorsandtheirobjectivequalitymadethemincreasinglylessengagingforthepublicandthemedia.In2010,SustainableSeattledecidedtotakeanewapproachtoindicatorswithTheSeattleAreaHappinessInitiative.

TheHappinessInitiativeisbasedonworkbeguninBhutan40yearsago,whenitsyoungkingfamouslyproclaimedthatgrossnationalhappinessismoreimportantthangrossnationalproduct.WithassistancefromtheUnitedNationsDevelopmentprogramanda

teamofinternationalscientists,Bhutandevelopedalengthyfour-hoursurveyofwell-beingcoveringninedomainsofhappiness.ThatsurveywasshortenedbyateamofresearchersforuseinBrazilandinthecityofVictoria,BritishColumbia.Usingtherevised30-minuteversion,VictoriacreatedaHappinessIndexPartnership(HIP)in2008,conductedarandomhappinesssurvey,andheldatownmeetingtodiscusstheresultsandrecommendwaystoimproveVictoriasoverallwell-being.TheVictoriasurveywaspresentedtotheSeattleCityCouncilinAprilof2010.Twomonthslater,BhutanscommissionerofhappinessvisitedSeattleandmetwithseveralcouncilmembers.

InJanuary2011,TheHappinessInitiativeputthe30-minuteversionofBhutanssurveyonlineforanyonetotake,usinganITplatformthatprovidedimmediatefeedbackscorestowhoevertookthesurvey.TheHappinessInitiativereceivedmanycommentsfrompeoplewhotookthesurvey.Mostsaidtheylearnedagreatdealaboutthemselvesbytakingit,thoughsomesaidtheexperiencemadethemfeeluncomfortablebecauseitaskedthemtoprobedeeplyintotheirlives,somethingtheywerentusedtodoing.

Acommoncomplaint,frombothindividualsandexpertsinthefieldofsurveys,wasthatthesurveywastoolong.Wecorrectedthisandarenowusingafullyvalidatedshortersurvey.Wehavealsoconductedanationalrandomsamplingusingtheshortersurveyandsohavebaselinedataforcomparisonsbetweencommunitiesandindividuals.


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The Happiness DataTheSeattleAreaHappinessInitiativesurveywastakenbyvoluntary(oropt-in)surveytakers.Morethan7,200peoplecompletedthesurvey,closetohalfinKingCounty.About2,600Seattleresidentscompletedthesurvey.

Theresultsarenotaresultofafullyrandomsamplesurvey.Butthreefactorsthatindicate

thatdatafromthesurveyisvaluableare(1)thesizeofthesample(2)comparabilitytootherdataproducedthrougharandomsampleand(3)analysisofsurveyresultalignmentswithfindingsbygenerallyacceptedresearch.

ThesizeofoursampleforSeattlewaslarge(2,638).Severalresearcherswhoconductsurveysintheirlineofworkandprofessionalpollsterstoldusthatarandomsamplingmightdifferverylittlefromours,duetothenumberofpeoplewhotookthesurvey.

WeareabletocompareoursurveyresultswiththoseproducedbyarandomsamplebecauseoursetofquestionsforoverallsatisfactionwithlifeisdrawnfromtheGallupHealthwayspoll.OurresultsfromthissectionwerewithinonepercentagepointofthoseregisteredbyGallup.

Findingsfromanalysisofthesurveyresultsthatalignwithprioracceptedresearchcanindicatethevalidityofthedata.Ourfindingsshowthathappinessincreasesmoreasincomeincreasesuptoacertainamount,andthendoesnotsubstantiallyincreaseoncesomeonehasreachedacertainincome.Thisisconsistentwithresearchfindingsdevelopedusingrandomsamplesurveyresults.

Thesethreefactorsindicatethesurveydatainthisreporttellusimportantinformation.

Two-thirdsofthesurveytakerswerefemale.Morepeoplewithhigherincometookthesurveythanpeoplelivinginthelowerincomebrackets.Similarly,thesurveyreflectstheresponsesofmorepeoplewhohaveattainedhigherlevelsofformaleducation.

Thedatafromthisreportisnotfromarandomsample.Weacknowledgethisdrawback.WedidnothavefundingtodoarandomsamplesurveyofSeattlecitizens,andhopeto

receivethesupporttocorrectthis.However,weseethevalueofavoluntary(oropt-in)survey,andthedataitprovidestoindividualsandtoourcommunity.Peopletellusitisavaluabletoolforself-reflection,awareness,andanassessmentoftheirownlives.Activiststellustheyareusingitasatoolforbuildingcommunity.Wefullyintendtokeepthesurveyonlineindefinitely.

Inthissurvey,wedidnotgatherdataonrace.Wedecidednottodothisbecauseweunderstandtheideaofraceisasocialconstruct.However,theillusionofracehasapowerfulinfluenceonindividualsandinoursociety.Wecorrectedthisforourfutureworkanduseddatafromthe2000UnitedStatesCensustoindicatethepercentageofthepopulationidentifyingasnon-whiteorLatinofortheCulturedomain.

Whileweacknowledgelimitationsinourdata,webelievethattheHappinessInitiative

surveyrevealsimportanttrendswhichwillbevaluabletoSeattleresidentsandpolicymakers,andthatfurtherworkontheHappinessInitiative,includingongoingopt-insurveyingandarepresentativesurvey,iswarranted.


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Seattles Happiness Report CardThisisSeattlesHappinessReportCard.Thesurveyresultsarefrom2,638Seattleitesandarecomparedtotheresultof4,601surveytakersfromtherestoftheUnitedStates.1Theobjectiveindicatorsarepairedwiththesurveyresultsandgiveabalancedpictureofour

well-beingandsustainability.

Domain

Survey results Objective indicators

Seattlesmedianscore

Medianscore

outsideSeattle

Indicator Value Trend

OverallWell-Being*

66.0 66.9

Psychological

Well-Being77.8 77.8

Demand fordomestic violencesupport services

3518requests per day

in WashingtonL

MaterialWell-Being

73.1 73.1Metropolitan area

GDP$67,135

per capita L

Health 66.7 66.7 Obesity rate 21.4% LCommunity

Vitality64.9 64.7

Violent crimesreported

5.67per thousand

peopleJ

Cultural Vitality 64.2 64.5

Percentage ofpopulation

identifying as non-white or Latino

13.3% - 77.6%

range acrossneighborhoods ?

Governance 57.5 56.9Voter turnout in thelatest presidential

election

83.9%of registered

votersJ

EcologicalVitality

45.8 45.8Greenhouse gas

emissions

6,913,000metric tons CO2

equivalentL

Time Balance 43.3 43.3Mean travel time to

work26.8

minutes K*Overallwell-beingisaffect(feeling)andsatisfactionwithlife,notacompositeofallthedomains.

1WeexcludedtheSeattlesurveytakersfromthecomparisongroupbecausetheymakeup36%ofthewholesample,whileSeattleishometolessthan0.2%oftheU.S.population.Thisover-representationreflectstheprojectbeingbasedinSeattleandhavingbeenmuchmoreeffectiveatgettingpublicityinourownlocalmediamarketthanelsewhere.WearerecruitinglocalpartnersinmanyotherregionsoftheUnitedStatestobalancethis.


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Survey resultsThehappinesssurveygaveeachsurveytakerascoreforOverallWell-Being,alongwithscoresoneightdomains,eachofwhichisacontributortohappiness.Theresultsforallthesedomainsaredepictedgraphicallyhere:

Figure1. SummaryofSeattlessurveyresults


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Where we are thrivingSeattle'sscoresgenerallyfollowthepatternoursurveyrevealsfortheUnitedStatesasawhole.Likeotherareas,wescorewellinPsychologicalWell-Being(77.8)andMaterialWell-Being(73.1),Inclusion(73.7)andRightsandFreedoms(70.8).Ourscoresareidenticaltoelsewhereinthesedomains,orinthecaseofInclusionandRightsand

Freedoms,componentsofdomains.SeeAppendixAforanexplanationofcomponentsofdomains.

Material Well-BeingHere,thehighoverallscoreisacompositeoftheverydifferentscoresforpeople'ssatisfactionwiththeircurrentmaterialstandardofliving,whichishigh(77.8),andtheirsenseofeconomicsecurity,whichismuchlower(62.5).Moreresearchisneededtofurtheranalyzethesedifferences,whichmaybeexacerbatedbythecurrenteconomicclimate.

Interpersonal TrustInterpersonalTrust,whichisacomponentofCommunityVitality,isoneareawhereSeattleitesscoredparticularlywellincomparisontoelsewhere.Here,thescore(70.8)isoverfourpointshigherthanthemedianforelsewhere(66.7).Theserelativelyhighscores

areapositivesign,andindicatethatfurthersurveyworkwithopt-insurveyingandarepresentativesurveyofSeattleiswarranted.

Where we are hurtingTime BalanceTimeBalancewasSeattleslowestdomainscore,indicatingthatsurveytakersoftenfeeltheydonothaveenoughtimetodothingstheyneedtodoorthingstheyenjoy.Poortimebalancehaslong-termconsequences.Itcontributestohealth-damagingstress,decreasesthetimepeoplecandevotetocommunityandrelationshipbuilding,andleadstobehaviorthatharmstheenvironmentpeoplerecyclelessandusemoredisposablesandmore

energy-intensivetransport.

Nationally,thetimebalancescorewasalsothelowest.ThiswasalsothecaseinVictoria,whichinspiredthereportTheChallengeofTimeBalance.2

Ecological VitalityEcologicalVitalityscoresinSeattleandelsewherewerealsoamongthelowestinthesurvey.Thereweredifferentpatternsfordifferentquestionswithinthisdomain3,asfollows:

o Thefirstquestionforthisdomainasked,"Howsatisfiedareyouwiththeopportunitiesthatyouhavetoenjoythenaturalenvironment?"85%ofpeoplewhotookthesurveyinSeattlechoseeither"Satisfied"or"VerySatisfied"inresponseto

thisquestion.o Thisisinsharpcontrasttothequestionsaboutenvironmentalprotectionand

peoplesexpectationsfortheenvironmentinfuture,eachofwhichthemajorityofSeattlesurveytakersansweredpessimistically.55%saidtheyworryagreatdeal

2http://www.victoriafoundation.bc.ca/web/files/Time%20Crunch_2010-12-02.pdf

3ThenewsurveyaddressesthisproblembycompletelyredesigningtheEcologicalVitalitysection.


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oralotaboutthestateoftheenvironment,78%saidtheyexpectopportunitiestoenjoytheenvironmenttobeworseinfuturethantoday,36%saidtheyweredissatisfiedorverydissatisfiedwitheffortstopreservethenaturalenvironment,and69%agreedwiththestatementIfthingscontinueontheirpresentcourse,wewillsoonexperienceamajorecologicalcatastrophe.

o Thefinalquestionforthisdomainaskedhowmuchsurveytakersagreedwiththe

statement"IwouldgivepartofmyincomeifIwerecertainthatthemoneywouldbeusedtopreventenvironmentalpollution."andinSeattle67%ofpeoplechoseeither"Agree"or"StronglyAgree.

Community ParticipationWhileSeattlescoredrelativelyhighontheCommunityVitalitydomain,itsCommunityParticipationsub-domainscorewaslow.ThisistheareawhereSeattlesresultswerethemostdifferentfromelsewhere.Wethinktheremaybetworeasonsforthislowscore.

TheCommunityParticipationscorewasaveragedfromthreequestions,twoofwhichaskedaboutmembershipinandvolunteeringforvoluntaryorganizationsorassociationssuchasschoolgroups,churchsocialgroups,communitycenters,ethnicassociationsorsocial,civicorfraternalclubs.ItispossiblethatSeattleitesunderestimatedtheirparticipationbecausetheydidnotseethetypeoforganizationwheretheyvolunteeredlisted.Secondly,thesurveydidnotregisterthedifferencebetweenresponsesofNotatallandNotapplicabletoseveralquestions.44%respondedNotatall/Notapplicabletothequestionaboutmembership,and34%respondedNotatall/Notapplicabletothequestionaboutvolunteering.Thismayhaveskewedthesurveyresults.


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Trends in the survey dataWhich Seattle

neighborhoods are happier

places?

ThemapsinthissectionshowtheresultsforeveryZIPCodewithintheSeattleCitylimits,aswellasthosepartiallywithinSeattlecitylimits,fromwhichwehadatleast10respondents4.EachmapshowsthenumberofresponsesfromeachZIPCodeandthemedianscore.Theshadingdenotesscores,withdarkercirclesindicatinghighermedianscores.Thesizeofthe

circlesdenotesnumberofresponses,withlargercirclesindicatinglargernumbersofsurveytakers.

498113,98124and98134wereallexcludedfromthisanalysisbecausetheyhadfewerthan10respondents,whichmakesmedianscoreshighlyunreliableasanyindividualsresponseshavetoolargeaninfluenceoverthemedian.

Overall Well-Being

Figure2. OverallWell-Beingisgenerallylowest

intheDuwamishwatershed,Northgateandthe

CentralDistrict.


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Psychological Well-Being

Figure3. PsychologicalWell-Beingishighestin

theFremont/GreenLakeareaandlowestinthe

Delridge/WhiteCenterarea.

Material Well-Being

Figure4. MaterialWell-Beingislowestinthe

Duwamishbasin,andhighestintheDowntown,

Eastlake,MountBakerand

Wedgewood/ViewRidgeareas.


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Health

Figure5. Healthscoresareunevenlydistributed

aroundSeattle.

Community Vitality

Figure6. CommunityVitalityscoresarehighest

inNorthSeattle,Magnolia,theMadisonValley

andAlkiandlowestintheDuwamishvalleyand

Seattlesurbancore.


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Cultural Vitality

Figure7. CulturalVitalityisunevenly

distributedaroundSeattlesneighborhoods.

Governance

Figure8. Governancescoresarehighestfor

Downtown,MountBakerandthenorthern

neighborhoodsandlowestforBeaconHilland

partsofWestSeattle.


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Ecological Vitality

Figure9. EcologicalVitalityscoreswerelowest

inBeaconHill,whilemanyneighborhoodstied

forthehighestscore.

Time Balance

Figure10. TimeBalancescoreswerelowestin

BeaconHillandhighestDowntownandinthe

LakeCity/Northgatearea.


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Does money make you happy?Oursurveyresultsconfirmedthatlifesatisfactionriseswithincreasingincome,withamuchlargereffectforthetransitionbetweenpovertyandmiddleincomethanbetweenmiddleincomeandgreatwealth.Thisisconsistentwithgenerallyacceptedresearchfindings.

WithinSeattle,themedianOverallWell-Beingscoreforpeoplewithanincomeof$25,000

orlessis55.4,whileitis69.6a14.2pointdifferenceforpeopleearning$100,000ormore.Almosthalfofthisdifference(6.7points)isinthestepbetweenthoseearning$25,000orlessandthoseearning$25,000-$50,000.Thedifferencesbetweenthehigherincomebracketsarealllessthan3pointseach.

ThesurveyresultsshowedthathigherincomesresultinfairlylargeimprovementsinSatisfactionWithLifescores,withadifferenceof18.2from56.8to75.0forthosewiththelowesttohighestincome.AswithOverallWell-Being,increasesaremostdramaticbetweenthetwolowestincomebrackets,andmuchsmallerforthehigherincomebrackets.

ThesurveyresultsshowedhigherincomeresultsinamuchsmallerincreasetoPositiveAffect,oremotionalwell-being,thanSatisfactionWithLife,withadifferenceof7.2,from57.1to64.3,betweenthelowestandhighestincomes.Affect,oremotionalstatechanges

themostforthoseinthelowestlevels,withadifferenceof4.4betweenthoseearninglessthan$25,000andthoseearning$25,000-$50,000,andadifferenceof1.8forthoseearning$75,000-$100,000comparedtothoseearning$100,000ormore.

Figure11. OverallWell-Beingbrokendownbyincomegroup

Othernotablefindingswithregardtoincomeinclude:

o IncomedoesnotseemtoseriouslyimpactTimeBalancescores,withadifferenceof3.4with43.3forthelowestincometo46.7forthehighestincome,andsatisfactionwitheducationalopportunitieswithadifferenceof2.5between52.5to55.0forlowandhighincomelevels.

o PeoplewithlowerincomescoredhigherinCommunityParticipation,withthehighestcommunityparticipationbythoseearningunder$25,000andthelowestbythoseearningover$100,000.Scoreswere50and41.7forlowandhighincomesrespectively.

o PeoplewithhigherincomesscoredhigherinInterpersonalTrustwith58.3forthelowestincomeand75.0forthehighestSocialSupportwith73.7forlowestand86.8


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forthehighest,Inclusionwith68.4forthelowestincomeand78.9forthehighest,Governancewith52.2forthelowestincomeand61.2forthehighestandthebiggestdifferenceinRights&Freedomsscoreswith62.5forthelowestincomeand79.2forthehighest..

Figure12. Selectedsurveyscoresbrokendownbyincomegroup

Onlythehighestandlowestincomegroupsareshown.

Thesefindingsareconsistentwithgenerallyacceptedresearch.ArecentUniversityofVirginiastudyIncomeInequalityandHappinessindicatesthatincomeinequalityitselfhasaclearnegativeimpactonwell-being5.

5IncomeInequalityandHappinessbyShigehiroOishi,SelinKesebir&EdDiener.Downloadableathttp://people.virginia.edu/~sk8dm/Papers/Oishi-Kesebir-Diener-Inequality%20and%20Happiness-Psych%20Science.pdf


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Are men happier than women?OursurveyindicatedasmalldifferencebetweenmenandwomeninSeattleforOverallWell-Being,withwomenscoring64.2andmen,66.5.BothmenandwomenhadlowTimeBalancescores(43.3)andlowscoresinConfidenceinGovernmentandotherinstitutions.WomenreportedbetterSocialConnectionsandhigherCommunityParticipation.Men

scoredhigherinInclusion.Thedifferencesintheotherdomainswereverylow.

Figure13. Genderdifferencesforselectedsurveyscores


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Young people appear less happyOneofthemorenotableaspectsofthesurveyresultsisthedifferenceamongagegroups.Youthaged19-24scoredlowerthanexpected.Typicallyhappinessscores,asgatheredbyGallupandothers,followasmile-shapedcurvewithpeoplebeinghappiestbeforetheageof30andaftertheageof60orso,andunhappiestduringmiddleagearound40-55.The

reasonforthismaybethecharacteristicsofthepeoplewhotookthesurvey(orthecohort),orthesurveyresultsmayreflectthatyoungpeoplearehurtinginmanyareasoftheirlives.Ineithercase,wefeeltheseresultsindicatefurtherworktogatheropt-inandrepresentativedataiswarranted.

Notethatwedidnotincludetheresultsfromtheunder-19agegroupbecausethesamplewasstatisticallysmall,buttheresultsforthisgroupwereashighasexpected.

Oursurveydidnotproducethissmile-shapedcurvewithaslightcurvedownaspeoplepass70yearsofage,butratherasortofW-shape,asshowninthechartbelow.Ourresultsforthosebetween19-24yearsofagereportedsomeofthelowestlifesatisfactionanddomainscoresinthesurvey.

TheOverallWell-Beingscorefor19-24yearoldswas61.6.Noagegroupscoredlower.By

contrast,scoresweresomewhathigherforthosebetween25-44.The19-24agegroupscoredlowestinPositiveAffect(immediateemotionalwell-being)ofallgroupsandalsowerelowestinTimeBalance(40.0),CommunityVitality(61.0),InterpersonalTrust(58.3),SocialSupport(81.6),andPsychologicalWell-Being(73.2).

Thelowscoresforages19-24mayreflectthesituationforyoungpeoplewhomustdealwithfewerjobopportunities;greaterdebt;morecompetitivestress;andotherfactors.Thistrendcouldadverselyaffectthehealthoftheseyoungpeople,anditispossiblethatthestressestheyfacewillfurthererodetheirsenseofwell-beingandconnectionwithothers.Webelievethisdata(ifconfirmedbyfurtherstudy)shouldbetakenseriouslybypolicymakersandtheentirecommunity.

Figure14. OverallWell-Beingbyagegroup

Theagegroupsdisplayedeachhadover100responses


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Are married people happier?Ouranalysisofthesurveyresultsshowsthereisastrongcorrelation,orconnection,betweensocialconnectionandhappiness.Putsimply,well-beingscoresforthoselivingwithotherpeoplewerehigherthanforthoselivingalone.Wecannotprovecausalitywiththisdata.Itispossiblethatunhappierpeoplearemorelikelytochoosetolivealone.More

surveyworkinthisareawouldallowustolearnmore.Accordingtoourdata,themedianOverallWell-Beingscoreforthoselivingalonewas61.3comparedwithamedianof67.2forthosewholivewithoneormoreotherpeople.ScoresforthoselivingwithotherswerehigherinalldomainsexceptTimeBalance.

Figure15. OverallWell-Beingbyhouseholdsize

Whenbrokenupbyhouseholdtype,ourdatasuggestthathighestwell-beingisamongmarriedpeoplewithoutchildrenintheirhome.Thedifferenceinwell-beingbetweenthose

livingaloneandmarriedcoupleswithoutchildrenis8points,with60.8forthoselivingalongand68.0formarriedpeople.However,singleparentsscoremorethan4pointshigherthanthoselivingalone.

SingleparentshavethehighestPsychologicalWell-BeingscoresandCommunityVitalityscoresofanyfamilygroupmembers.Ontheotherhand,singleparentsscorepoorlyinMaterialWell-Being,ConfidenceinGovernment,andtheirfeelingsregardingtheRightsandFreedomstheyenjoy:

Household

Type

OverallWell-Being

CommunityVitality

PsychologicalWell-Being

MaterialWell-Being

Confidencein

GovernmentRights &

Freedoms

Alone 61.4 61.7 76.4 69.2 50.0 70.8

With parents 64.9 65.3 72.2 69.2 50.0 70.8

Room-mates 63.4 65.0 76.4 65.4 50.0 68.8

Single withchildren 67.8 70.1 84.7 57.7 50.0 66.7

Spouse andchildren 68.3 67.5 77.8 73.1 54.2 75.0

Spouse nochildren 68.1 64.9 77.8 76.9 54.2 70.8


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Does the environment make you (un)happy?Overall,EcologicalVitalityappearstobeonlyweaklycorrelatedwithOverallWell-Being.OnequestionismuchmorestronglycorrelatedwithOverallWell-Beingthanthedomainoverall,withacorrelationof28%.Thecorrelationfortheotherquestionsrangedfrom0.10tonegative0.019,indicatinglittleconnectiontoOverallWell-Being.Thismaybebecause

thequestionsdonotfitwellwithinthedomain.ThecorrelationforAccesstoNatureimpliesthataccesstonaturehasalargerimpactonhappinessthanthequalityoftheenvironment,expectationsofhowenvironmentalqualitywillchangeinfuture,orcommitmenttoenvironmentalprotection.Thatsaid,thequestionsinthissurveymaynothavebeenthebestwaytodeterminehappiness.Ourcurrentsurveyisabettermeasurementtool.

Question Correlation

10.1 How satisfied are you with the opportunities that you have to enjoythe natural environment?

0.28

Does having no time make you unhappy?TwoquestionsforTimeBalancestoodoutasparticularlystronglycorrelatedwithOverallWell-Being:

Question Correlation

2.2 How much control do you feel you have in making decisions that affectyour everyday activities?

0.57

2.1 In a typical week, how much of your time are you able to spend doingthe kinds of things that you enjoy?

0.50

TimeBalanceoverallisstronglycorrelatedwithOverallWell-Being,withacorrelationcoefficientof0.54.Combinedwiththelowscoreonthisdomain,wecanseethattimepovertyisasignificantbarriertowell-beingforSeattleites,asindeeditisforU.S.citizensingeneral.


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Community makes you happy

CommunityVitalityisthesecondmoststronglycorrelateddomaintoOverallWell-Being,followingPsychologicalWell-Being.

CommunityVitalityisanaggregateofthreecomponentsthatareeasiertoanalyzeseparately.SeeAppendixAforanexplanationofthecomponents.

ThecharttotherightbreaksCommunityVitalitydownintothethreecomponentsofSocialSupport,InterpersonalTrustandCommunityParticipation,andshowsthecorrelationbetweeneachandOverallWell-Being.

Asshowninthechart,theSocialSupport

componentisparticularlystronglycorrelatedwithOverallWell-Being.Allbuttwoofitsquestionshadcorrelationcoefficientsbetween0.47and0.56.ThetwoquestionsthatwerelessstronglycorrelatedwithOverallWell-Beingaskedaboutpracticalratherthanemotionalsupport:

Figure17. Correlationsbetween

OverallWell-Beingandthe

threecomponentsofCommunityVitality

Question(with preamble: How often is each

of the following kinds of support available toyou when you need it?)

Correlation

Percentage choosing

most positive answer

4.3 Someone to take you to the doctor if youneeded it

0.42 73%

4.4 Someone to help you with daily chores ifyou were sick

0.40 62%

ThisindicatesthattheavailabilityofemotionalsupportismorestronglyrelatedtoSeattleiteswell-beingthantheavailabilityofpracticalassistance.Coupledwiththehighpercentagesofpeoplewhoreportedhavingtheirneedsforpracticalassistancemet,this

suggeststhattherelationshipbetweenlivingaloneandunhappiness(asreportedintheTrendssectionabove)ismoreduetolonelinessthanthepracticaldifficultiesoflivingalone.


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WithintheInterpersonalTrustcomponentofCommunityVitality,noindividualquestionstoodoutascorrelatedespeciallystronglywithOverallWell-Being(allcorrelationsbelow0.48).ThethreequestionsthatcorrelatedmoststronglywithOverallWell-Beingfocusedonthesurveytakerstrustinpeoplearoundthem:

Question(with preamble: How much do you trust) Correlation

3.1 People you work with or go to school with? 0.47

3.2 Your neighbors? 0.41

3.4 Businesses in your community? 0.41

Thequestionsabouttrustinstrangersorperceivedsafetyallhadcorrelationcoefficientsof0.38orbelow.ThissuggeststhatSeattleitessenseoftrustintheirowncommunityismoreimportantfortheirwell-beingthantrustinstrangers.


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Objective indicatorsThesurveyresultsprovideasubjectivemeasureofwell-being.Objectiveindicatorsprovideabalancedpicture.Thissectionpresentsdataforobjectiveindicatorsforthedomainsofhappiness.

Theindicatorswereselectedusingahybridprocess,withacrowd-sourcingmodelusedtoproduceashortlistofpotentialindicatorsforeachdomain,andapanelofexpertsconvenedtonarrowthatshortlistdowntoafinalsetof1-3indicatorsperdomain.6Indicatorswerechosenbasedonthecriteriaofrelevancetothedomain,availabilityofprimarydatatothegeneralpublic,availabilityofatimeseriestoestablishtrends,andunderstandability.

Thedataisgivenforasclosetolocalaswasavailable;however,wewerelimitedbythelackofavailableofdata.Dependingontheindicator,themostrecentdatacanbeasrecentas2010orasoldas2000.Thegeographicalscopesalsovary:whilesomestatisticsareavailableatthecitylevel,othersareonlyavailableatthecounty,MetropolitanStatisticalAreaorStatelevel.Wehavemadetheselimitationsexplicitforeachindicator.

Belowwepresentonekeyindicatorperdomainofoursurvey.Formostdomains,welistoneortwoadditionalindicators.Wewerenotabletogatherdatafortheseindicators,butfeelthattheyarealsoimportanttounderstandingourhappiness,well-beingandsustainability.

Wherewecould,wegathereddataforSeattle.Insomecases,thedatawasmorereliableforawidergeography.

Psychological Well-BeingIndicator: Demand for Domestic Violence support servicesGeographicscope:WashingtonState

Data:

Time period Requests for DV support services in one day

2006 2189

2007 1953

2008 2330

2009 2458

2010 3518

Trend:worsening

Rationaleforindicatorselection:Domesticviolenceisdefinedasatleasttwocyclesofphysicalviolence.Itoftenincludespsychologicalformsofcontrolandoppression.Domesticviolenceincludespartnerandchildabuse.Studiesshowdomesticviolencerates

6Afullerdescriptionofthisprocessisavailableonourwebsiteat:http://sustainableseattle.org/sahi/gnh-objective-indicators


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arebetween25%to35%ofallmarriagesandpartnershipsintheU.S.Childrenraisedindomesticviolenceareverylikelytobecomevictimsorperpetratorsofviolence.

Datasource:TheNationalNetworktoEndDomesticViolence'sNationalCensusofDomesticViolenceServices

Dataavailability:Thisdataisavailableforeachstate.

Secondary indicatorso Suiciderateo Prevalenceofseriousmentalillness

Material Well-BeingIndicator: Metropolitan area GDPGeographicscope:Seattle-Tacoma-BellevueMetropolitanStatisticalArea

Data:

Time period Metropolitan area GDP per capita

2006 $62,205

2007 $67,045

2008 $68,512

2009 $67,135

Trend:declining

Rationaleforindicatorselection:Whileitisanimperfectmeasureofpeoplesmaterialwell-being,GDPisabroadlyrecognizedmeasureofthegrowthofaneconomyoverall.Localizingthistoametropolitanareaallowspeopletounderstandhowtheirlocaleconomy

isperforming.ExpressingGDPpercapitaratherthanforthewholemetropolitanareamakescomparisonsbetweendifferent-sizedareaseasierandremovesdistortionsfrompopulationgrowthormigration.

Datasource:GDPfiguresarefromtheUnitedStatesBureauofEconomicAnalysis;MSApopulationestimatedbyUnitedStatesCensusBureau.

Dataavailability:ThisdataisavailableforeveryMetropolitanStatisticalAreadefinedbytheUnitedStatesOfficeofManagementandBudget

Secondary indicatorso Povertyrateo Medianincome


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HealthIndicator: Obesity rateGeographicscope:KingCounty

Data:

Time period Percentage of population who are obese

2004 18.6

2005 19.0

2006 19.9

2007 20.2

2008 21.4

Trend:worsening

Rationaleforindicatorselection:Obesityisassociatedwithabroadrangeofnegative

healthoutcomes,andisitselfasymptomofunhealthyenvironmentsandlifestyles.Ithasanationallyagreedmedicaldefinition,sotheobesityratecanbereadilycomparedbetweenanytwoareas.

Datasource:CentersforDiseaseControl

Dataavailability:ThisdataisavailableforeverycountyandstateintheUnitedStates.

Community VitalityIndicator: Violent crime rateGeographicscope:CityofSeattle

Data:

Time period Violent crimes reported per thousand people

2009 6.23

2010 5.67

Trend:improving

Rationaleforindicatorselection:Violentcrimeisbothasymptomofproblemsinacommunityandacontributortolowlevelsofinterpersonaltrustandsatisfactionwithcommunities.Thedataisreadilyavailableandcomparableformanycities.

Datasource:FederalBureauofInvestigationDataavailability:ThisdataisavailableforeveryU.S.citywithapopulationof100,000ormore.

Secondary indicatoro Volunteerrate


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Cultural VitalityIndicator: Multi-racial neighborhoodsGeographicscope:ZIPCodeswithinSeattle

Data:Allfortheyear2000wewilladd2010whenthatdataismadeavailable.

Figure18. ThepercentageofpeopleineachSeattleZIPCodeidentifyingasnon-whiteorLatino.

NotetheclustercorrespondingtotheRainierValley,theCentralDistrictandBeaconHill.


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ZIP NeighborhoodPercentage of population

identifying as non-white or Latino

98119 Queen Anne West 13.3

98116 Alki, Genesee 13.7

98107 Ballard 15.1

98136 Gatewood, Lincoln Park 15.3

98117 Loyal Heights, Whittier Heights 15.7

98199 Magnolia 16.4

98177 The Highlands 16.9

98103 Wallingford 16.9

98109 Eastlake 17.4

98115 Wedgwood 17.6

98102 Eastlake 18.9

98166 Seahurst, Burien 19.9

98112 Broadmoor 22.0

98155 Lake Forest Park 23.2

98105 Laurelhurst 24.6

98121 Belltown 28.2

98133 Shoreline 29.998148 Normandy Park, Seatac 30.3

98101 Downtown 30.4

98125 Lake City, Victory Heights 32.0

98174 Kirkland 33.1

98198 Des Moines 34.7

98126 High Point 34.9

98146 Shorewood 42.1

98168 Highline 43.0

98122 Mann 44.2

98188 McMicken Heights 44.8

98134 Industrial District East 50.3

98104 Pioneer Square 54.198106 Delridge 54.8

98178 Bryn Mawr-Skyway 60.9

98144 Rainier 71.4

98108 Georgetown 74.4

98118 Brighton 77.67

Trend:Notrendcanbeanalyzedbecauseweonlyhaveoneyearofdata.Forcomparisonpurposes,KingCountyasawholehasaminorityrateof26.6%.

Rationaleforindicatorselection:TheCulturalVitalitydomainofoursurveyasksaboutinclusivenessanddiscrimination.Thediversityofneighborhoodsaroundacityreflectshowinclusiveitscultureis,andhistoricdiscriminationcanbeseenintheconcentrationofminoritiesinasmallpartofacity.

Datasource:UnitedStatesCensus

Dataavailability:ThisdataisavailableforeveryZIPCodeandcountyintheUnitedStates.

798118hasbeenwidelyreportedasthemostdiverseZIPCodeintheUnitedStates,thoughthereissomedoubtaboutthisclaimformoreinformationsee:http://www.rainiervalleypost.com/98118-americas-most-diverse-zip-code-who-said/


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Additionalnote:WhilethediversityofsomeSeattleneighborhoodsisstriking,itisimportanttonotethatthewidevariationinthisstatisticandtheclusteringofallthemostdiverseZIPCodesinonecontiguousareareflectasignificantdegreeofsegregationwithincontemporarySeattle.

GovernanceIndicator: Voter turnout in general electionsGeographicscope:WashingtonState

Data:

Time period Percentage of registered voters who submitted a ballot

2000 74.7%

2004 83.1%

2008 83.9%

Trend:improving

Rationaleforindicatorselection:Whileoursurveyaskspeopledirectlyabouttheirconfidenceingovernment,voterturnoutisawaytomeasuretheirparticipationinthelocaldemocraticprocess.WeoptedtoreportPresidentialelectionyearsonlybecauseturnoutinthoseyearsislessaffectedbylocalreferendaandissues,soitprovidesamorereliablesenseoftheoveralltrend.

Datasource:KingCountyElections

Dataavailability:Thisdataisnotconsistentamonglocalauthorities.

Additionalnote:Itisimportanttonotethatthisindicatorexpressesturnoutasapercentageofregisteredvoters,andthereforedoesnotaccountforwhatproportionofeligiblevotersareregistered.Weareworkingtofinddataforthatstatistic,toimprovetheclarityofthisindicator.

Secondary indicatoro Taxfairness

Ecological VitalityIndicator: Greenhouse gas emissionsGeographicscope:CityofSeattle

Data:Time

periodGreenhouse gas emissions in metric tons of carbon dioxide

equivalent, before accounting for offsets

1990 7,280,000

2005 6,886,000

2008 6,913,000


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Trend:mixed

Rationaleforindicatorselection:Globalclimatechangeisthepre-eminentenvironmentalissueofourtime,andgreenhousegasemissionsmeasurethelocalareascontributiontoit.

Datasource:SeattleCommunityGreenhouseGasInventory

Dataavailability:Thisdataisnotconsistentamonglocalauthorities.Secondary indicators

o VolatileOrganicCompoundemissionso MunicipalSolidWaste

Time BalanceIndicator: Mean travel time to workGeographicscope:KingCounty

Data:

Time period Mean travel time to work in minutes

2005-2007 26.5

2006-2008 26.8

2007-2009 26.8

Trend:nosignificantchange.

Rationaleforindicatorselection:Commutingaddssignificantlytothetimethatworktakesoutofeachpersonslife.Galluppollsindicatethetimespentcommutingistypicallytheleasthappypartofapersonsday.Longcommutesareassociatedwithmanynegativeoutcomes,includingstress,highbloodpressure,takingmoresickdays,andnegativemood

athome8

.

Datasource:AmericanCommunitySurvey,compiledandpublishedbytheU.S.CensusBureau.http://www.census.gov/acs/www/

Dataavailability:ThisdataisavailableatthecountylevelfortheentireUnitedStates.

Secondary indicatoro Workinghours

8Source:Novaco,R.W.,&Gonzalez,O.(2009).Commutingandwell-being.InY.Amichai-Hamburger(Ed).Technologyandwell-being (pp.174-205).Cambridge:CambridgeUniversityPress.AlsoreportedinWashingtonPost,April9,2007:YourCar+YourCommute=AVisittoYourDoctorhttp://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/04/08/AR2007040801177_pf.html


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Recommendations

TheSeattleAreaHappinessInitiativeresultsfor2011indicatethatthegreatestopportunitiesforourcitypolicymakersareincommunity,theenvironmentandgovernance;andthegreatestopportunitiesforindividualsareincommunityandtime-balance.Furthermore,ourworkwithothercommunitiesinareasstruckbynaturalandman-madedisasters,includingJapanforSustainabilityandGHNUSAinVermont,hasconvincedusthatastrongcommunityisakeyfactorinresilience,andoneofthebestwaystopreparefordisaster.Inatimewhenagenciesandindividualsarefacingincreasinglyscarcerresources,wemustfindnewwaystomeetourneeds.

Withthisinitialstudy,Seattleispoisedtoshowtangible,measurablemeanstoimprovethequalityoflifeandpursuitofhappiness.Tokeepthemomentumgoingtowardachievingourcityshighesthappinesspotential,weofferthefollowingrecommendations:

1)Increasefacilitationandsupportofvolunteer-driven,communitybasedactivitieswithin

microclimatesinneighborhoodsaswellaslearningacrossneighborhoods.Thecitycanencouragevolunteerismwithinneighborhoodsbyshowcasingbestpracticesofinformalandformalvolunteergroupsandorganizationsinourarea,acrossournationandglobally;providingsuggestedguidelinesandhandbooksforcommunityorganizingandaction;andfacilitatingactivitiessupportivetothebuildingofcommunitysuchasassetmapping,communityblogsandothermeansofinformationandcommunication.

2)OfficiallyadopttheHappinessInitiativedataforinformingpolicyandresourceallocation.WiththerecommendationbytheUnitedNations(seeconclusion,below),theeffortsintheUnitedKingdom,France,CanadaandBrazil,andrecommendationsbyleadingexpertssuchasDanielKahneman,SeattlecanquicklybecomethefirstHappinesscity,leadingthewayforothercitiesinournationandonourglobe.Forbestpossibleresults,werecommendthecityconductarepresentativesamplingtocomplementtheopt-insurveydataandobjective

indicators.


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Next Steps and Conclusion

OnJuly19,2011,theUnitedNationscalledongovernmentstomakethepursuitofhappinesstheirprimarygoalandtofindnewwaystomeasuretheirsuccessinachievingit.TheSeattleAreaHappinessInitiativeprovidesdatameasurementsthatcanhelpusmanageahappy,healthy,andfairfutureforourcity.Weexpectthejourneytoreachingthatfuturewillbelong.Tothatend,weplanthefollowingnextsteps:

Weplantoissuereportsannuallytothepublic.

WewillcontinuetopromotethesurveyamongSeattlescitizenstoensureallvoicesareheardandneighborhoodsarerepresented:

- Weareworkingtomakethesurveyavailableinlanguagesspokenbyimmigrantsandrefugeesinourarea.FundingforthetranslationswasprovidedbytheSeattleDepartmentofNeighborhoods.Ourhopeistotranslateitintoasmanylanguagesaspossible.

- Inaddition,weplantoreachouttounderservedpopulationswhoareunlikelytotakethesurveyontheinternettoassurethatthesepopulationsarerepresentedincludedinnewdatacollection.Todothis,wearepartneringwithsuchorganizationsasNeighborhoodHouse,RainerValleyFoodBank,andhomelessanddomesticviolencesheltersandhopetodosurveygatheringworkwiththeirconstituentsinNovemberof2011.

- Thesurveywillbeonlineindefinitelysoanyonecantakeit,anduseitforself-assessmentandasaguideforpersonaldevelopment.Thenewsurvey,fullyvalidatedandshortenedbythePersonalityandWellbeingLaboratoryatSanFranciscoStateUniversity,isnowonline,atournewWebsite:www.happycounts.org.

TheSeattleDepartmentofNeighborhoodsisalsofundingsmallhappinessprojectsbyourcommunitypartnerstoincreasethewell-beingoftheircommunity.

Ourhopeistogatherpolicychanges,organizationalactionsandpersonalstoriestakenbecauseofthesurveyresultandreportcard.Inatimeofscarceresourcesandincreasingriskofcatastrophe,wehopethatpolicymakers,organizationsandindividualscanlearnhowtoforgeamoreresilient,justandhealthyfuturebytakingintoaccountourareasself-assessmentofwherewearehurtingandthriving.Thesepolicies,actionsandstorieswillbethesteppingstonesforabetterfuture.

TheHappinessInitiativestartedinSeattle,butinterestintheprojecthasnowblossomedinotherAmericancities,whichwillconductaspectsoftheInitiativeinthecomingmonths.In

addition,manycampusesareplanningtoincludethehappinesssurveyandotheraspectsoftheHappinessInitiativeinclassesorbroaderconversationsoncampus.

TheHappinessInitiativeis,atitscore,agrassrootsproject.TheSeattleAreaHappinessInitiativeisoneprojectoftheHappinessInitiative.HappinessInitiativesarescalablefornations,states,cities,towns,organizations,groupsorevenforfamilies.Weinviteyoutoconductahappinessinitiativeinyourworkplace,homeorvolunteergroup.Weaskyoutospreadthewordinourcityandelsewhere.Visitthehappycounts.orgwebsiteanddownloadthetoolkitandtakethesurvey!


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Appendix A:Breakdown of component scores for domains

Someofthesescoresforadomainarethemselvescomposedoftwoorthreecomponents.ThedomainswithcompoundscoresareOverallWell-Being,CommunityVitality,CulturalVitalityandGovernance.Belowarebreakdownsofthesescores.

Overall Well-BeingTheOverallWell-Beingscoreistheaverageoftwocomponents:SatisfactionWithLifeandreportedPositiveAffect.Asillustratedbythechartbelow,thedifferencebetweenSeattleandelsewherewasentirelyinthePositiveAffectcomponent.

Figure19. OverallWell-Beinganditscomponents

o SatisfactionWithLife isthesurveytakersoverallassessmentoftheirlives,indicatedbyresponsestoquestionsincludingTakingitalltogether,howsatisfiedareyoucurrentlywithyourlifeasawhole?

o PositiveAffectmeasuressurveytakersemotionalstate,byaskingthemhowmuchtheyhadexperiencedarangeofemotionssuchaslove,gratitude,angerandworryoverthepastfourweeks.

Community VitalityCommunityVitalityistheaverageofthreecomponents:SocialSupport,InterpersonalTrustandCommunityParticipation.Thisdomainhadparticularlylargedifferencesbetweenitscomponentparts,asshowninthischart:

= +


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Figure20. CommunityVitalityanditscomponents

o SocialSupportaskedsurveytakershowsatisfiedtheywerewithrelationshipsintheirlivesandwhethertheyhadvariouskindsofhelpandcompanionshipavailabletothem.

o InterpersonalTrustwasassessedwithquestionsaboutperceivedpersonalsafety,trustinpeopleencountered,andwhetherthesurveytakerwouldexpectvariousgroupsofpeopletoreturnalostwallet.

o CommunityParticipationaskedaboutparticipationinvoluntaryorganizationsandinformalvolunteering.

Asshowninthechartabove,SeattlescoredsomewhathigherthanaverageontheSocialSupportandInterpersonalTrustdomains,butloweronCommunityParticipation.

Cultural VitalityCulturalVitalityistheaverageofAccesstoCultureandEducationandInclusion.

Figure21. CulturalVitalityanditscomponents

= + +

= +


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o AccesstoCultureandEducationaskedsurveytakershowfrequentlytheyparticipatedinformal&informaleducation,arts,culture&sports,andhowsatisfiedtheywerewiththeirparticipation.

o Inclusionassessedsurveytakerssenseofbelongingandexperiencesofdiscriminationorbeingoutofplace.

ThesurveyresultrevealednodifferencebetweenSeattleandelsewhereforInclusion,butshowsSeattleitesasslightlylesssatisfiedwiththeirAccesstoCultureandEducation.

GovernanceGovernanceistheaverageofConfidenceinGovernment,InstitutionalConfidenceandRightsandFreedoms.

Figure22. Governanceanditscomponents

o ConfidenceinGovernmentassessedsurveytakersconfidenceinvariouslevelsofgovernment,trustinthepolice,andsatisfactionwiththeelectoralsystem.

o InstitutionalConfidence directlyaskedsurveytakershowmuchconfidencetheyhadinarangeofinstitutionssuchaschurches,thepressandthehealthcaresystem.

o RightsandFreedoms measuredsurveytakerssatisfactionwiththeirpoliticalandvocationalfreedom,governmenttransparencyandequalpay.

SeattlesurveytakersscoresforthecomponentsofGovernancewerecloseenoughtoelsewherethatthedifferencesroundedout,leavinglessthanonepointofdifferencebetweensurveytakerselsewhere.AllsurveytakersreportedhighersatisfactionwiththeirRightsandFreedomsthanconfidenceinanysortofinstitution.

= + +

Documents

Seattle Happiness Report Card 2011