Community
Happiness Index
Gwendolyn Hallsmith, Director
Department of Planning and
Community Development
City of Montpelier
Indexing Indicators

Types of Indicators
Pressure
 State
 Response


Familiar Combinations
GNP/GDP
 GPI
 Pages that Count

New Combinations
Whole System Design
 Research needs
 Tracking and Monitoring
 Communicating Indicators

Audience
 Messaging
 Schedule


Iterative Planning and Policy
Community Happiness

Human Needs Framework
Social and Human Development
 Empowerment and Responsibility
 Economic Wealth
 Efficient Services and Infrastructure
 Environmental Integrity

Unmet Needs
 Underutilized Resources

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.
Human Needs and Sustainability
Social,
Governance,
Economic, and
Material Needs
Action
Capacity
Stocks and
Regeneration Rates
of Human,
Governance,
Financial and
Physical Assets
five requirements for
sustainable communities


empowerment and responsibility

economic security

efficient services and infrastructure

ecological integrity
health and well-being

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

empowerment and responsibility
•
shared leadership
•
equity
•
self-determination
•
conflict resolution
•
access
•
information

economic security
•
meaningful work
•
income security
•
equitable creation of wealth

efficient services and
infrastructure
•
affordable housing
•
efficient buildings and infrastructure
•
renewable energy
•
reliable transportation
•
abundant local goods and services
•
reliable communication systems

environmental integrity
•
clean air
•
productive soil
•
clean and abundant water
•
healthy ecosystems & biodiversity
•
natural waste assimilation
•
climate regulation
•
pollination
Enhancing Assets and Capacities
Starting with
Strengths
Everybody is a
Hero
Satisfying
Needs
Integrated Feedback
Systems
Improved Social
Networks
Improved social networks
Community Spirit
Community spirit
Social Well-Being
Social well-being
Empowerment and
Responsibility
Equitable Resource
Distribution
Economic Security
Human and
Environmental Health
Empowerment & responsibility
Equitable resource distribution
Economic security
Human and environmental health
Understanding Systems
Montpelier Indicators
Social and Human Development
 Governance
 Economics & Livelihoods
 Built Environment and Infrastructure
 Natural Environment

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.

Good Governance
Responsiveness to Citizen Concerns
 Youth Participation in Local
Government
 Voter Registration
 Regional Cooperation
 Neighborhood Association Activities
 Equitable Voting Districts

Vibrant Local Economy
Green Jobs
 Livable Wages
 GRI Reporting Businesses
 Non-essential imports
 Locally Produced Food
 Exchange Systems
 Job Satisfaction and Employment

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

Natural Environment
Wastewater pollutants
 River Water Quality
 Green Roofs
 Flood storage capacity
 Raingardens
 Ambient Air Quality
 Soil Production

The End
Questions?
Comments?