Does a community thrive because its citizens are happy? Or are its citizens happy because their community is thriving? Surely, the answer is not a chicken-or-egg equation. Individually and together, citizens create the vibrant community where they can work, play, create, contribute, live in safety, and stay healthy, i.e. a community in which they’re happy.

This month, Forefront Austin considers opportunities to measure and advance the idea of Gross Domestic Happiness. We kick off our conversation with a perspective from RunTex's Paul Carrozza who is re-imagining Austin's iconic Trail of Lights as a platform to advance community connections and happiness.  Then, explore features about how Austin stacks up on seven happiness measures and who is moving the needle to keep everyone happy.

Forefront Austin What is Gross Domestic Happiness? And Why Does it Matter? By Katherine Anthony for Forefront Austin
Life satisfaction with one’s locale is a concept that’s been building steam since first emerging in 1972 in the Asian kingdom of Bhutan. Find out how Austin is measuring the life satisfaction and happiness of its citizens.

 

 

Paul Carrozza

RunTex

 

RunTex Turns the Lights Back On...To Connect Us All
By Paul Carrozza of RunTex Carrozza Foundation
After Austin's beloved Trail of Lights took a two year hiatus due to budget constraints, RunTex founder Paul Carrozza announced that he had signed a contract with the city to bring back the Trail of Lights. In this article, Carrozza tells Forefront Austin how the Trail of Lights embodies what he calls the Austin Experience — and why it’s about much more than twinkling lights.

Find out how Austin stacks up on seven measures of Gross Domestic Happiness:

1Safety:The Austin Police and Fire Departments and Austin-Travis County Emergency Medical Services are charged with preventing and combating crime, and with responding to a variety of emergencies. The Imagine Austin plan presents some statistics about these services’ performance and organization, and the numbers give us one picture of the services they provide:

Quality of Space: The natural environment offers a respite from urban living and, when well-managed, can enhance city life. Great examples are Austin’s crown jewels, Zilker Park and the hike-and-bike trail at Lady Bird Lake. Austin has developed many vibes over the past few decades, but a predominant one is a spirit of environmentalism that’s driving many current building and land-use decisions.

Forefront Austin looks at how green building can be a wise investment, and how one Austin non-profit turned a negative into a positive with regard to land use:

Innovation: Forbes said some pretty impressive things about Austin when the magazine named it among America’s Most Impressive Cities in 2010. “Turns out everything really is bigger in Texas,” the magazine said, “Including the brains.”

What does innovation have to do with happiness? Innovative communities cultivate the talent, approach and support for creative problem-solving and economic growth. Austin’s spirit of innovation has earned national, data-backed accolades pointing out the power of our innovative spirit.

Here, two Forefront Austin stories look at how the business and creativity communities really do work and play well together — leading to an exciting business/cultural climate that's constantly renewing itself:

Democracy and Civic Engagement: Former Austin ISD superintendent Pat Forgione often spoke of Austin’s spirit of “e pluribus unum” — out of many, one. The national motto was intended to represent the federal nature of the nation — out of many states, one country. But the motto also reflects our melting pot nature — out of many peoples, one American people. Austin’s growth — its population increased 20 percent to more than 812,000 people between 2000 and 2010  — expands the potential for new ideas and energy, but also presents challenges in engaging citizens and ensuring that their interests are represented. Civic engagement that involves citizens of all ethnicities, income levels, and neighborhoods is critical.

Forefront Austin presents two important aspects of civic engagement: how developing long-term community relationships fosters involvement, and how future community leaders can be developed:

Physical and Mental Health: We strive for good health. We eat right (mostly), we exercise, and we get regular medical care. We do these things because they make our lives better, i.e. more happy. For communities, a commitment to health and citizens’ access to health services are critical factors in any quality-of-life rating. Austin’s fast-growing population amplifies these needs. Forefront Austin looks at innovative new approaches essential to health care delivery. The mind-body connection — stress! arrgghhh! — and how it affects overall physical well-being is also explored:

Economic Well-Being: At the top of any “desirable cities” list are ones that offer ample employment with salaries and benefits as good or better than comparable communities. Ideally, happy employees contribute to a stable economic environment, which then gives back to them in opportunities for professional growth and advancement.

This dynamic, however, doesn’t work for everyone at the same rate, and Austin has a large number of citizens who struggle to meet their families’ basic needs. Deep poverty exists in Austin, and it impacts how and what city services are delivered, how schools measure up to standards, and how the city’s financial future may not be rosy for everyone. Forefront Austin looks at the flip side of economic well-being in Austin — how the poverty gap hurts us.

Cultural Vitality: Rare is the person who works all the time. We play. It’s human nature, and play takes many forms — an evening at the theatre, on a baseball diamond, or at a live music venue. Austinites value getting out to enjoy themselves. The city’s spirit of creativity and desire for new experiences have blossomed into a cultural climate that offers just about everything to just about everybody.

While big festivals and live music take center stage in Austin, Forefront Austin takes a look at how we’re transforming our cultural awareness multi-culturally and generationally: