Last week
it was difficult to avoid hearing or reading about happiness. At the
beginning of the week, Statistics Canada revealed that based on 340,000 survey
responses collected over a four year period, the Vancouver metropolitan area
ranked last out of 33 cities in Canada.
Saguenay, Que. topped the list.
Measuring
happiness is not a new thing. While Canada once was one of the few countries
that did it, today many countries measure national happiness. There is even an
International Day of Happiness held March 20. One of
the world experts in the field is Vancouver’s own John Helliwell. John and I
attend a weekly discussion group and I can attest to the fact that he seems
genuinely happy all the time.
Last
Tuesday, John participated in a panel discussion at the Museum of Vancouver
organized by the Canadian Institute for Advanced Research (CIFAR). The program
was titled “Change Makers: from
Evidence
to Action: Inspiring Ideas for Happier Communities.” John was
joined by the Statistics Canada official who oversaw the Canadian survey and
Meik Wiking, the CEO of the Danish Happiness Research Institute. Yes, there is
a Danish Happiness Research Institute.
Wiking
noted that while Vancouver may rank last amongst Canadian cities, by
international standards we are quite a happy region. In an
effort to increase happiness in Denmark, the state has eliminated community
centre fees, created inter-generational community gardens, and studied the
relationship between sustainable living and levels of happiness.
Meik
addressed the commonly held belief that happiness is tied to economic growth,
possessions and consumption. While
happiness is definitely linked to wealth, researchers around the world have
concluded that above a certain financial threshold, additional wealth fails to
improve individual and collective well-being. However,
people with good health and employment, strong social networks and a sense of
purpose in life are on average much happier.
Since
Vancouver is striving to become the most sustainable city in the world, I was
interested in a Danish research report distributed at the conference examining
a correlation between sustainability and happiness. It
concludes that people who say it is important to care for nature and the
environment are happier than those who do not. Furthermore, those who reduce
waste and recycle are happier.
Examples
included people who get joy from seeing other people finding value in things
they would normally have gotten rid of. Those of us who have recently given
away old clothes or furniture can probably attest to this.
Last
Thursday, the results of another survey were announced. This one examined the
level of happiness in 158 countries and concluded that Canada is the fifth
happiest country on the planet. Only Switzerland, Iceland, Denmark and Norway
ranked higher.
The 2015
World Happiness Report from the Sustainable Development Solutions Network
undertook analysis in the fields of economics, psychology, health, national
statistics and public policy.
Armed
with the information that Vancouver was not a happy city but Canada was a happy
country, I decided to visit The Happy Show at the Vancouver Museum. Earlier in
the week, Courier writer Cheryl Rossi wrote an excellent preview
of this show. While
some Vancouverites may be disturbed by a few of the displays, I highly
recommend it. Check out the washrooms. You cannot help but leave feeling a bit
happier.
After
attending the conference and Happy Show and pondering the national and
international happiness surveys, I thought about some recent Courier columns in
which I explored how good neighbourhood planning and housing design can improve
happiness.
“Pocket
neighbourhoods” that cluster small houses around communal space are just one
example of friendlier planning. So is the inclusion of corner stores and cafes
within residential neighbourhoods.
More
block parties and perhaps an annual Neighbourhood Day, like that celebrated in
the Netherlands, might also reduce the increasing social isolation many of us
are experiencing.
While
none of us like to be told we are in last place, I hope Vancouver will score
higher when Statistics Canada next reports on our level of happiness. After
all, look on the bright side. We can’t do worse.
- See
more at:
http://www.vancourier.com/opinion/vancouver-we-re-happier-than-you-think-1.1867236#sthash.tS9KAeC3.dpuf
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