Author of “The Economics of Happiness” and happiness economist Mark Anielski will explore what makes communities in both Canada and abroad flourish and experience the most happiness. His research and consulting work in Canada, China and Tahiti into what he calls Genuine Wealth, is providing individuals, businesses and communities with a practical roadmap for achieving a balanced life that optimizes wealth, health and happiness. Mark believes that wellbeing will become the new bottom line of business and communities, and that progress will be measured in terms of genuine happiness. Come explore with Mark how we can design and build vibrant communities with wellbeing in mind.

1. Creating VibrantCreating Vibrant
CommunitiesCommunities
Creating Flourishing Communities of Wellbeing and
Happiness
Mark Anielski
September 17, 2013

2. Spirit in Service for VibrantSpirit in Service for Vibrant
CommunitiesCommunities

3. Mark Anielski
Creating
Flourishing
Communities of
Wellbeing and
Happiness

4. Creating Flourishing Communities of
Well-being and Happiness
Mark Anielski
Co-founder, Genuine Wealth Inc.
Author, The Economics of Happiness:
Building Genuine Wealth
September 17, 2013

5. I have a dream.....
To co-create economies of well-being.
"One can not change an existing
system; one must create a new
system that makes the old system
obsolete"
--- Buckminster Fuller

6. every journey begins with a vision

7. WellBeing
the final frontier

8. The ‘road
map’ to an
economy of
WellBeing

10. We are in midst of an asset
devolution where
wealth is being redefined

11. Happiness: our common yearning for a flourishing good life
Channel Rock, Cortes Island, British
Columbia

12. Thomas Aquinas
What is the Good Life?

13. The purpose of our lives is to be happy.
The Bhuddha
Happiness results from a
good birth, accompanied
by a lifetime of good
friends, good children,
health, wealth and a
contented old age...and
virtuous activity.
(Aristotle)

14. ecology
oikos (household) logia (knowledge)
Shuswap Lake, British Columbia
A renaissance in economics and business
economy
oikos (household) nomia
(management)
We must
reclaim
the spirit of
words

15. Where I play
Jen
C.H.O
Stephanie
care-holder
Mark
Money Hunter
Renee
care-holder

16. Genuine
To live authentically
To be true to our values

17. WealthThe conditions of wellbeing

18. Too much and for too long, we seemed to have
surrendered personal excellence and community values
in the mere accumulation of material things…. The Gross
National Product (GNP) counts air pollution and cigarette
advertising…Yet, GNP does not allow for the health of
our children or the joy of their play. IT measures neither
our wit, nor our courage, neither our wisdom nor our
learning..... GNP, measures everything, in short, except
that which makes life worthwhile.”
Robert Kennedy March 16, 1968
Measuring
What
Matters

20. financial
capital
Virtues
Values

21. Human Capital
Nunavut, Canada
(People): Mental, physical, emotional
and spiritual wellbeing conditions of
individuals in an organization that include,
health, skills, knowledge, capabilities and
aspirations.

22. Social Capital
Relationships, trust and
networks amongst and
between colleagues,
customers, suppliers and
friends.

23. Natural Capital
Natural resources
(renewable and
non-renewable),
land, water, air, and
ecosystem assets.

24. Built CapitalBuilt Capital
The produced goods --
machinery, equipment,
technology, buildings,
roads, and patents -- that
provide benefits to their
owners by helping
produce other goods and
services.

26. Financial Capital
Money, cash, stocks, bonds,
derivatives, and other financial
assets (and liabilities).

28. Happiness
(Greek: eudamonia)
“well-being of spirit“
A sense of well-being,
resulting from achieving
excellence in the fulfillment
of one's functions.
-- Aristotle

29. 50%
Our genes
and upbringing
The SCIENCE
of wellbeing

30. USA
$37,562
GDP per capita
Life Satisfaction Index:
7.4
Bhutan
$1,969
GDP per capita
Life Satisfaction Index:
7.6
10% our
wellbeing is
related to our
income,
education, and
where we live

31. 40% of our wellbeing comes
from our relationships with
others!

32. What puts a chill on happiness?
Loss of spouse
Loss of job/work

33. Which Canadian communities are the
happiest?

34. The Happiest Communities in Canada
Canadian average = 4.26
Source: Based on Does Money Matter: Determining the Happiness of Canadians.
Canadian Centre for Living Standards. November 2010.

35. Measuring Returns to Happiness
Source: Based on Does Money Matter: Determining the Happiness of Canadians.
Canadian Centre for Living Standards. November 2010.

36. What are the determinants
of happiness in Canada?
Source: Based on Does Money Matter: Determining the Happiness of Canadians.
Canadian Centre for Living Standards. November 2010.

37. #1. Sense of belonging to local communities
(higher in smaller communities, rural areas and Atlantic Canada.)
Source: Based on Does Money Matter: Determining the Happiness of
Canadians.
Quebec has
the lowest
sense of
belonging
Nunavut the
highest
Source: Statistics Canada, Table 105-0501 - Health indicator profile, 2009

38. Kelsey Cartwright
#2. Perceived mental health
Source: Based on Does Money Matter: Determining the Happiness of Canadians.
Canadian Centre for Living Standards. November 2010.
Perceived health, very good or
excellent (percent of
population)
Quebec 61.1
Yukon 59.1
Nova Scotia 59.3
Newfoundland 57.5
Ontario 61.2
Canada 60.5
Alberta 61.4
PEI 61.9
Saskatchewan 58.7
Manitoba 60.2
Nunavut 47
British Columbia 58.6
New Brunswick 55
NWT 51.8

39. #3. Physical activity level
Source: Statistics Canada, Table 105-0501 - Health indicator profile, 2009

40. Building an Economy of Genuine Wealth
`
Maligne Lake, Jasper National Park, Canada
#4. Stress levels
Source: Statistics Canada, Table 105-0501 - Health indicator profile, 2009

41. #5. Being married

42. #6. Being a recent immigrant

43. #7. Being unemployed

44. Building Economies and
Businesses of Well-being

45. Bhutan’s Gross National HappinessBhutan’s New Economic Paradigm based
on well-being and happiness
Jigme Khesar Namgyel Wangchuck
the fifth Dragon King of Bhutan
Prime Minister
Jigme Yoser Thinley
In Bhutan (a Buddhist kingdom) personal
spiritual fulfillment is not just a spiritual pursuit,
it is government policy.
My role is to help create conditions that will
help our people find happiness.

46. The Genuine Well-being Balance ‘Sheet’
City of Edmonton, 2008
Source: Anielski Management Inc. 2009. The Edmonton 2008 Genuine Progress Indicator Report: The State of Economic, Social and
Environmental Wellbeing for the City of Edmonton. Prepared for the City of Edmonton.

48. Building an Economy of Well-being
for Tahiti

49. A New Balance Sheet
City of Leduc Genuine Well-being Index, 2006

50. Cooperative Economies
Emilia-Romagna (Italy)

51. Businesses with Soul:
people and planet before profit
Ray Anderson
Founder
Interface Inc.
“Doing well by doing good.”
“We have a new vision: to become a leader in industrial
ecology by first becoming a sustainable corporation and
eventually a restorative enterprise.” (1934-2011)

52. Personal Genuine Wealth

53. Individual
Wellbeing
Household
Wellbeing
Community
Wellbeing
Business/Enterprise
Wellbeing
Flourishing
Vibrant
Eudamonia
Happiness
Flourishing
Canadian Index of
Wellbeing
Sustainable
Abundance

54. A successful enterprise knows the assets most important to their success and how to manage and minimize the liabilities or risks to well-being
A successful community and enterprise knows the
assets most important to their success and how to
manage and minimize the liabilities or risks to well-
being.
A successful enterprise knows the assets most important to their success and how to manage and minimize the liabilities or risks to well-being

55. Safe Communities
Wellbeing, By Design
Field, B.C.

56. Creating VibrantCreating Vibrant
CommunitiesCommunities
Last lecture: Tuesday October 1
George Cuff
Starting Vibrancy at the Top – Local
Government
Last lecture: Tuesday October 1
George Cuff
Starting Vibrancy at the Top – Local
Government
www.urbansystems.ca