Health, Wealth and Happiness: Conference Essays

Conference Essays 2010 Health, Wealth and Happiness: what makes a prosperous region?

What do we envisage when we
wish each other a prosperous New
Year? How can we make it happen
here and now?

The South West Observatory’s
7th Annual Conference brought
together a broad range of expertise
to consider how distinct notions of
prosperity are correlated, how to
articulate and measure a common
understanding of prosperity, and
how to bring it about.

The South West Observatory is
a data and intelligence network,
working to inform policy and
decision making through the
exchange of ideas beyond thematic
and spatial boundaries. With a
combination of presentations and
‘question time’ style debate, the
conference gave delegates the
opportunity to understand and
explore the interrelationship of
public policy objectives.

The event programme, session
summaries, speakers’ biographies
and presentations from the day
SW are available to view or download
from www.swo.org.uk/events/
SOUTH WEST OBSERVATORY conference-2010

Health, Wealth and Happiness: What Makes a Prosperous Region?
South West Observatory 7th Annual Conference

The Assembly Rooms, Bath
Wednesday 31 March 2010

CONTENTS Health, Wealth and Happiness: what makes a prosperous region?

02 Introduction Vinita Nawathe • Managing Director
of the South West Observatory

04 Robert Kennedy speech

05 Understanding and measuring Professor Martin Boddy • Chair, SWO
health, wealth and happiness Board and Executive Dean, Faculty of
Environment and Technology, UWE

06 Sustainable Development Indicators Dr Sara Eppel • Head of Sustainable
and Wellbeing Measures Products and Consumers, Defra

08 Understanding and measuring Paul Brown • Deputy Director
health, wealth and happiness (on behalf of Dr Gabriel Scally,
Regional Director of Public Health
for the South West)

09 Developing a principled prosperous Matthew Taylor • Chief Executive,
society and releasing human potential Royal Society for the Encouragement of
Arts, Manufacture & Commerce (RSA)

10 Panel debate: What is prosperity? Nigel Jump • Chief Economist, South
West Regional Development Agency

12 As above Dame Suzi Leather • Chair, Charity
Commission

14 Sustainable Communities in the Professor Katie Williams • Director of
South West - how can we achieve the Centre for Environment & Planning,
quantity and quality? UWE

16 Health, Wealth and Happiness, and Simon Mauger • Regional Programme
Futures thinking Director (South West), NIACE

18 Practically realising prosperity Jonathon Porritt CBE • Former Chair,
Sustainable Development Commission
and Founder, Forum for the Future
19 Bibliography and Acknowledgements

01

VINITA NAWATHE Health, Wealth and Happiness: what makes a prosperous region?

At the heart of SWO is a social
enterprise set up to develop
and co-ordinate an intelligence
network that supports and
enhances the work of its
members. The SWO network is
made up of publicly funded bodies
that provide data, analysis and
research mostly within, and about,
the South West.

It achieves efficiencies through
sharing best practice and resource,
Better Information, Better avoiding duplication and getting
Understanding, Better Decisions bigger bang for buck through joint
working and joint commissioning.
The South West Observatory (SWO)
promotes evidence-based In our view, evidence - data,
policy making. research and analysis - are
weapons in an armoury. Evidence
While this is not contentious does not replace decision-
in principle, there can be some making, it helps it. The stronger
resistance from some policy your evidence the stronger
and decision makers. For some, your argument, the more you
evidencing everything sounds understand the better prepared
technical, dull and slow, while for you are for counter-argument.
some others, evidence is only
useful if it backs up the decision However, decisions can still be
already made - so called policy- made on gut instinct, for political
based evidence. expediency, or despite some
evidence - and can still be the
The challenge for the South West right decision in a given situation.
Observatory is in promoting the Evidence goes beyond hard
role of evidence beyond a nice to statistics and measured indicators
have add-on - especially for those and is the sum of all the available
who believe politicians are elected information including knowledge
to “do things” and quickly - to an about public perceptions,
integral, informing, authority-giving preferences and behaviour and
must-have part of the policy- the past and likely outcomes of
making process. contiguous policy interventions.

02

Health, Wealth and Happiness: what makes a prosperous region?

One of our aims at SWO is to Robert Kennedy was a common
facilitate functional conversations inspiration for some, and so his
- between researchers and policy 1968 speech at the University of
makers, across policy silos and Kansas kicks off this tour of ideas.
sector perspectives. To that end,
we arrange technical workshops, I hope this collection of views
policy seminars and an annual provides food for thought, adds
conference to share knowledge to understanding and ultimately
and expertise from within and informs some good policy and
beyond our network. We want to decision making.
avoid the situation where an expert
in any particular field sees a newly To paraphrase a colleague at the
announced policy or decision and Public Health Observatory in a
says (to themselves or the press) World Cup year, here at SWO,
“They wouldn’t have done that if we aim to provide you with the
they’d known what I know!” football to kick around, but you
play your own game and score
The theme for our conference in your own goals.
March 2010 was Health, Wealth
and Happiness; what makes a
prosperous region. It brought
together a broad range of expertise
to consider how distinct notions of
prosperity are correlated, how to
articulate and measure a common
understanding of prosperity, and
how to bring it about.

The range of ideas and viewpoints
on the day certainly started some
conversations. With many people
currently grappling to express a
collective aspiration in 2010 terms,
we had a lot of requests for the
day’s ideas to be captured and
taken forward. I am pleased that
nine of our speakers were able
to turn their talks into essays to
share with delegates and a wider
audience.

03

ROBERT KENNEDY SPEECH Health, Wealth and Happiness: what makes a prosperous region?

“Too much and for special locks for our Yet the gross national in short, except that
too long, we seemed doors and the jails product does not allow which makes life
to have surrendered for the people who for the health of our worthwhile.
personal excellence and break them. It counts children, the quality of
community values in the destruction of their education or the And it can tell us
the mere accumulation the redwood and the joy of their play. everything about
of material things. loss of our natural It does not include the America except why
wonder in chaotic beauty of our poetry we are proud that we
Our Gross National sprawl. It counts or the strength of are Americans.”
Product, now, is over napalm and counts our marriages, the
$800 billion dollars a nuclear warheads intelligence of our Robert F. Kennedy
year, but that Gross and armored cars for public debate or the University of Kansas
National Product - if we the police to fight the integrity of our public 18 March 1968
judge the United States riots in our cities. It officials. It measures
of America by that - that counts Whitman’s neither our wit nor
Gross National Product rifle and Speck’s knife. our courage, neither
counts air pollution and And the television our wisdom nor our
cigarette advertising, programs which learning, neither our
and ambulances to glorify violence in compassion nor our
clear our highways order to sell toys to devotion to our country,
of carnage. It counts our children. it measures everything

04

PROFESSOR MARTIN BODDY Health, Wealth and Happiness: what makes a prosperous region?

of economic performance is, 1968 expressed this with great others has focused on self-reported
according to the Office of National eloquence. levels of happiness and the factors
Statistics, ‘an integral part of the that account for differences in this
UK national accounts … a measure Also, in richer countries at least, across time and place.
of total economic activity in a the link between output and
region’. It measures the total value measures of well-being such as We need to define both our
of goods and services (including health, education and job security priorities and objectives and the
public sector) produced in a given are at best weak. And paradoxically, measure we use to set targets and
time period. Expressed in terms levels of self-reported happiness or chart progress. To polarise things
of output per head or output satisfaction with life have not risen there are perhaps four alternatives.
per worker, it is a measure of with rising levels of GDP . First: ‘it’s the economy, stupid’, and
productivity, the key measure of to quote economist Paul Krugman,
‘competitiveness;’ according to There are four main alternatives ‘productivity isn’t everything but in
the Treasury. to GDP each of which embodies
, the long run it is almost everything’
different definitions of prosperity and that’s what we should focus
Levels of output are strongly linked and well being and, by implication, on. Second: to quote Layard,
to income, unemployment, job different goals. First, the Index of ‘happiness is the overarching good’,
security, health and life expectancy. Social and Economic Wellbeing and we should focus on the causes
And the recent ‘recession’ - provides a single monetary of happiness and our leverage over
negative change in GDP for two measure which factors in social them. Third: to quote the Stiglitz
quarters - recently reminded us of and environmental costs and the Commission set up by President
what happens when output falls positive contribution of unpaid Sarkhozy, ‘measures of well-being
and it all goes horribly wrong. caring, volunteering and other should be put in the context of
Understanding and measuring factors to provide an alternative to sustainability’ and we should
health, wealth and happiness So what’s wrong with that? GDP Second, the United Nations
. combine goals of well-being and
The problem is that GDP simply has developed indices of human environment. Fourth; to quote Tim
How we measure progress is measures the monetary value of development potential which Jackson writing for the Sustainable
fundamental to how we define our the goods and services produced combine life expectancy and Development Commission,
policy goals. The measures we use, regardless of the benefit - or harm educational attainment with GDP ‘prosperity without growth is no
the performance indicators we set - to people and society of what to provide a single numerical index longer a utopian dream. It is a
define and shape thinking on where is being produced. It takes no which can be used to compare financial and ecological necessity.’
we should be heading. Prosperity account of the impact of producing places and track change over And we must abandon goals built
can be defined in terms of affluence, those goods and services on time. The Department for Food, around output growth and GDP .
growth and wealth. But it can also environmental sustainability of Environment and Rural Affairs
encompass welfare, wellbeing consumption of non-renewable has developed a ‘score-card’
and happiness - and these are not resources. And it takes no account including 68 indicators spanning
necessarily the same thing. of the distribution of benefits the economy, climate change and
across society - of inequalities energy, natural resources and
Gross Domestic Product, the widely in distribution. Robert Kennedy’s sustainable communities. Finally
used ‘official’ headline measure speech in Kansas as long ago as economist Richard Layard among

05

DR SARA EPPEL Health, Wealth and Happiness: what makes a prosperous region?

• achieve personal goals & participate The slide below illustrates the green space, biodiversity habitats,
• supportive personal relationships correlation between areas of flood risk, road accidents and
• communities deprivation and poor environmental presence of ‘regulated sites’.
• health quality, with some startling results.
• financial & personal security A couple of the qualitative indicators
• rewarding employment give us a good handle on issues of
• healthy & attractive environment perception, such as perceptions of
anti social behaviour, or self reported
The wellbeing indicator is just one general health. With health, for
of the 68 sustainable development example, over 90% of boys and girls
indicators which are published aged under 15 rate themselves as in
annually in ‘Sustainable development good or very good health, whereas
indicators in your pocket’ and on this falls to around 70-75% of men
Defra’s website, as easy to read pie and women in the general population.
charts and graphs with traffic light
assessments of progress. The 68 The main wellbeing indicator which
indicators already include wellbeing came into effect in 2007 has the
measures such as fear of crime, following as part of its cluster of
numbers of workless households and measures:
rates of suicide, which demonstrate
the mix of qualitative and quantitative Each column is 1/10th of the • Overall life satisfaction
data that contributes to understanding population by area of deprivation, • Overall life satisfaction by
Wellbeing indicators - what do we wellbeing. and the colours represent 1, 2, 3 or social grade
measure and what can it show? 4 environmental conditions that are • Satisfaction with aspects of life
The framework of wellbeing that was ‘least favourable’ (meaning in the • Satisfaction with aspects of life,
When the 2005 Sustainable agreed across Government covers the worst 10% in England. So in the least by social grade
Development Strategy was published following: deprived/most affluent areas about • Satisfaction with aspects of life,
in 2005, Government committed to 30% of the population live in areas by age
looking holistically at wellbeing, to where there is one or possibly two • Frequency of positive and
see what is might mean for policy environmental issues that that may negative feelings
and how it might be measured. A be least favourable. By contrast in the • Frequency of positive and
cross-Government group identified most deprived areas over 80% of the negative feelings, by social grade
measures to contribute to a basket population live in areas that may be • Frequency of feelings or activities
of wellbeing indicators. A common affected by at least one environmental which may have a positive or
understanding of what wellbeing is condition that is least favourable. The negative impact on wellbeing
was established: correlation between deprivation and • Level of participation in sport
poor environmental quality is shown • Access to green space
• positive physical, social and to be strong. Conditions examined are • Level of participation in
mental state air quality, river water quality, housing other activities
• individuals have a sense of purpose conditions, fly-tipping, litter, detritus, • Positive mental health

06


The overall life satisfaction (on But the variation from the average is Finally, the ‘happiness’ questions.
a scale from 0 to 10) plotted on the horizontal axes. These This slide highlights different feelings
consistently show an average are coloured according to socio- felt every day or most days over the
around 7 and the most economic group. The orange group preceding 2 weeks. 73% of people
common score being 8 out of (group E - casual labourers, state had felt happy, but only 60% of group
10. But the more informative pensioners, unemployed) has around E (casual labourers, state pensioners,
element is perhaps the difference 10% fewer people being satisfied for unemployed) said they had felt happy
in perception between the red almost all the aspects - particularly so every day or most days. The response
columns (managerial and in relation to relationships, standard for ‘engaged’ varied considerably with
professionals), through to the of living, day to day activities, health, up to 75% of group A (managerial)
orange columns (people who achievement of goals and future feeling engaged but as low as 48%
have never been in paid financial security. By contrast, around for Group E. The results for ‘everything
employment). The highest 5% more people in this group than the was an effort’ also highlighted a
orange columns is also on level 8/10 average were satisfied in relation to marked difference for group E with
but never rises above 18% of The following slide shows the details feeling part of their community. with 22% agreeing to this statement,
respondents and is more spread across of satisfaction with different aspects against 11% for Group A.
5/10 through to 10/10. The managerial of life. Eleven aspects on the left This graph illustrates results that
column (red) by contrast peaks (from relationships to community), are change as people move through
significantly at 8/10 with 30% qualitatively rated, and the variation in different life stages (based on results
of respondents selecting this: the answers is shown. So, on average for different age groups). Standard
88% of the population were fairly or of living stays at around 80-85% of
very satisfied with their relationships, people fairly or very satisfied, until
86% their accommodation, 85% their they hit around age 55 or so when it
standard of living etc. rises to over 90%. Similarly, the results
for ‘ability to influence own life’ curve
upwards at this age - in this case after
a steady downward trend since the
early 20s.

In summary, if the South West region
is keen to develop its own set of
wellbeing indicators, I would very much
recommend capturing some from
the national set. Wellbeing does not
The good news for the South West of have a single indicator it is a basket of
England, is that the local populations’ indicators, and I hope these examples
overall dissatisfaction with their lives is have shown the richness of information
the lowest across England. So the that can be captured from different
factors that bring people a good quality groups of society, which can be very
of life are clearly high in this region. helpful for targeting policy interventions.

07

DR GABRIEL SCALLY Health, Wealth and Happiness: what makes a prosperous region?

skills, opportunities, physical • develop and implement robust, reliable 6. Education
environment, capability, social support measures of social connections, political 7 Environmental Diversity
.
and social capital, service provision, voice, and insecurity that can be shown 8. Living Standard
relative income inequality and financial to predict life satisfaction 9. Governance
capability. The review also highlights • assess inequalities in a comprehensive The index is “generated to reflect the
a number of issues which affect the way in all the dimensions happiness and general well-being of the
quality and selection of indicators to • assess the links between various Bhutanese population more accurately
measure health inequalities. These quality- of-life domains for each person, and profoundly than a monetary measure.
include importance, feasibility and and this information should be used The measure will both inform Bhutanese
cost, availability, clear relevance to when designing policies in various fields people and the wider world about the
interventions, technical issues, criteria/ • provide the information needed current levels of human fulfilment in
Understanding and measuring guidance, smallest population for to aggregate across quality-of-life Bhutan and how these vary across
health, wealth and happiness which indicator is reliable, information dimensions, allowing the construction districts and across time, and will also
governance, impact, indicator sets and of different indexes inform government policy. (Ura, 2008)
”
When understanding the interactions data sources. (Marmot, 2010) • incorporate questions to capture
between health, wealth and happiness people’s life evaluations, hedonic Ura (2008) argues that the reason for
it is important to consider two main Additional evidence which argues experiences and priorities measuring all of the dimensions is that
factors. Firstly, that “health is a state for a need to “shift emphasis from • assess sustainability using a well- happiness does not depend on any
of complete physical, mental and measuring economic production identified dashboard of indicators individual aspect, but “having sufficient
social well-being and not merely the to measuring people’s well-being” • develop a set of physical indicators achievements in each of the 9 dimensions” .
absence of disease or infirmity” (World comes from the recent Report by the covering the environmental aspects of
Health Organization, 1946) but also that Commission on the Measurement sustainability. In particular there is a The evidence presented shows that well
“human health is a subsystem of the of Economic Performance and Social need for a clear indicator of our proximity being is not dependent on any one single
Earth‘s health. You cannot have well Progress (2009). The report also argues to dangerous levels of environmental issue. We must therefore move towards a
humans on a sick planet. (Berry, 2003)
” that it is important to: damage. (Commission on the Measurement of far more holistic notion of health, wealth
• distinguish between an assessment Economic Performance and Social Progress, 2009) and happiness, because the factors that
These statements highlight the fact of current well-being and an influence these outcomes are many.
that health, wealth, happiness, society assessment of sustainability, whether One set of indicators based on the
and sustainability are intrinsically linked this can last over time concept that well-being is determined An example we could learn from is
and fundamentaly dependent on one • look at income and consumption by wide and varied influences is the Freiburg, in the Rhine Valley, where
another. rather than production, when Gross National Happiness (GNH) planning decisions are made with a focus
evaluating material well-being Index developed in Bhutan. The index, on the well being of the population,
The recent Marmot Review of • emphasise the household perspective inaugurated and launched by the Prime ensuring that developments are:
health inequalities also provides • consider income and consumption Minister of Bhutan in 2008, is made up • making places to live fulfilled lives
strong evidence that the social and jointly with wealth of the following dimensions: • supporting community interaction
environmental dimensions which • give more prominence to the 1. Psychological Well-being • prioritising the ease of local movement
influence health are wide and varied. distribution of income, consumption 2. Time Use • paying particular attention to the role of
These include adequate standards of and wealth 3. Community Vitality public transport. (WHO Collaborating Centre
living, decent work, fair employment, • broaden income measures to non- 4. Culture for Healthy Cities and Urban Policy and South West
a good start, education, appropriate market activities 5. Health Regional Public Health Group, 2008)

08

MATTHEW TAYLOR Health, Wealth and Happiness: what makes a prosperous region?

individuals and communities so that represented in the mass media).
not only do they have more control,
not only does more of the money It is in organisations - at work, in
circulate in those communities clubs and charities - that we close
but the resources enable people this distance between personal
to move from dependency to efficacy and social pessimism.
independence. So an important question for the
South West Observatory is how
Third, we need to encourage people institutions in the region operate. Are
to behave in ways which enhance they innovative, open and inclusive
what David Halpern has called the or hierarchical, bureaucratic and
hidden wealth of nations. This is conservative?
the web of goodwill, trust, caring,
reciprocity and volunteering that Last week I was at a meeting in the
largely determines the health of West of England to discuss issues
society. Human beings are naturally facing small market towns. Too
inclined to empathy and reciprocity much of the talk was about how the
- we developed these instincts in towns suffer from the failures of
small homogeneous communities policies set down by central or local
but now live in diverse, fast moving government. Yet, any of these towns
One way for the South West to think we face, giving decision makers at mass societies. What are the new could transform their prospects
about future challenges is to ask all levels permission to make the ways of growing and protecting by increasing their own structures
what model of citizenship is needed right choices for the long term and social capital? of challenge and support. If local
for the region to be successful. In also recognising that the options businesses were more innovative,
the face of the short term problems open to them depend a lot on how In seeking to promote a sustainable if local social networks were better
of public service funding and rising we run our lives. For example, the model of citizenship what happens exploited, if local people themselves
social needs, the longer term trade off between economic growth in organisations is crucial. There got together to develop new ideas
challenge of climate change and finite and environmental sustainability is a gulf between how we feel and commit to a shared vision
natural resources, and the overall can be less difficult if individuals about our own lives and our then so much could be achieved
context of globalisation, how do we and communities agree to do things view of society as a whole. We despite the failings of town hall and
need to live to prosper? differently. tend to be optimistic (if anything Whitehall.
too optimistic) about how our
There are three dimensions to Second, we need more creative own lives will go while we are Of course, government policy
creating sustainable citizenship and resourceful citizens. There are far too pessimistic about what matters to the region’s future,
for the twenty first century. We implications here for education, for is happening in society at large. as does the state of the national
need citizens who are engaged the way we deliver public services Equally, while we tend to be economy and the global environment.
in decision making. This doesn’t and for promoting and supporting tolerant and understanding about But the most powerful place to start
only, or even mainly, mean turnout enterprise. For example, how can we the people we know we can be this conversation is asking how we
in elections. It is about people change the way we spend public and judgemental and harsh about need to live if we are to create the
understanding the kinds of issues third sector money on disadvantaged strangers (especially as they are better future to which we aspire.

09

NIGEL F JUMP Health, Wealth and Happiness: what makes a prosperous region?

Whilst we may debate what we need to be aware of “money £250,000 bonus feels hard done by
“remunerated work” means, it is illusion” over time and space. If I when his colleagues get £500,000
hard to deny its role as a basis for have £10 now and you had £5 thirty even though, in any wider sense, he
sustainable welfare for individuals years ago, you might have been is prosperous. At another extreme,
and groups across space and time. “better off” then than I am now, concern about relative prosperity is
Academic and research studies of in the sense that your purchasing behind the importance people put on
health, wealth and happiness are power may have been greater. national collective bargaining in the
clear that economic or financial Similarly, £5 to spend in a relatively work place.
prosperity are the bedrock of much poor, developing country in 2010
human activity. Of course, we can may buy a lot more than £10 • Asymmetric prosperity
extend these traditional measures spent in central London. Absolute Financial prosperity relative to our
to better reflect other welfare prosperity, then, needs to be neighbours is not all that matters.
issues, as the English RDAs have measured against some concept of People are also concerned about
done with the development of reality; its implied access to real, direction: they seem to value things
the Regional Index of Sustainable valued resources. differently according to whether
Economic Wellbeing, but we can they are rising or falling. To explain,
not replace them entirely. In • Relative prosperity if I earn £10 an hour and then get a
environmental, social and cultural People are not just interested in raise to £12 an hour, I will be pleased
What is prosperity? terms, human satisfaction is rooted their absolute prosperity, however. in the short term but I will quickly
in the removal of fundamental They also care about their relative get used to the new wage rate and
Prosperity can be defined in many economic concerns because that prosperity. It is not just how soon “take it for granted” If the
.
ways. Here, I concentrate on one then allows the building of higher much I have but how much I have extra £2 an hour is then removed,
important aspect: “a successful, aspirations and ambition - known as compared with other people that whatever the reason, I will be
flourishing or thriving … especially culture. can affect my contentment. A dissatisfied and the hurt will last.
in financial respects. Whilst it is
” famous experiment at Havard For many people, the pain of losing
not everything, financial prosperity It is useful to dig deeper into the showed that students offered income often seems to be greater
is a crucial part of overall well-being. economic psychology of what a smaller absolute amount of than the pleasure of acquiring it:
Indeed, I would argue that it is a people mean by prosperity. We money preferred that to a larger we are asymmetric in our response
sine qua non for health, wealth can recognise five different ways amount when their peers were to changes in prosperity. This has
and happiness. Whatever the flaws of looking at this issue; all of which given less rather than more than very real consequences, as we can
of GDP/GVA as comprehensive have evidence to support them, them. In figures, for example, they see in the various disputes currently
indicators of these three factors, but are also areas of debate. I use thought it was better to have $100 underway in the UK transport sector
they are an important component money as the measuring stick: if everyone else got $50 than to and as we may well see to a much
of well-being, representing a clear it is the best tool we have as an have $150 when everyone else got greater extent as the government
measure of the income rewards of objective ruler to compare value. $200. We see this relative affect tries to cut our public sector cloth
work effort available to households in many situations, e.g. when we back towards our means in the next
and individuals. They attempt to • Absolute prosperity rue the “inequity” of differentials few years.
capture the “what we get out If I have £10 and you have £5, I am in wages and bonuses within
for what we put in” of human probably more prosperous than organisations and societies. The • Intergenerational prosperity
endeavour. you in absolute terms. However, investment banker who gets a This asymmetry can extend

10


backwards and forwards a long way. the long term. I would argue that,
Most of us are “better off” than though imperfect, it has proved
our parents and they were “better better than any alternative at
off” than our grandparents. Most solving the great intergenerational
of us aspire for our children and issues of the day. Society needs
grandchildren to be “better off” to recognise property rights and
than ourselves. Is this fundamental to balance market power and
to human nature or a consequence information with optimal regulation.
of the period of growth we have Generating institutional trust,
experienced in the last 150 years? thereby, the market offers the SW
These intergenerational matters play region robust hopes for sustained
a key role in many important matters prosperity in the years ahead.
that we currently face. Climate
change, for example, is partly about
intergenerational prosperity. We can
take the approach “live for today and
let tomorrow look after itself” or we
can say “I will sacrifice some of my
prosperity for future. Essentially,
”
we make these decisions about
value over time every day when
we decide to spend, to save and to lessons of sustainability in wealth innovation to entrepreneurship and
invest and when we vote for “jam accumulation. competitiveness. On the demand
today” or “jam tomorrow” . side, this means the evolution of
Assuming these five aspects of values to reflect new scarcities,
• Sustained prosperity prosperity ring true, we can return needs and aspirations.
These quasi-political issues take to the essential argument that
us to the final aspect of prosperity. economic prosperity is part of our Against this background, our
Many people prefer a degree of make up and an essential part of fiscal and monetary levers needs
certainty in their income stream. a sustainable future. Economic, to foster personal incentives,
There can be no “steady state” social and environmental aspects of aspiration and motivation. Policy
but one only has to think what has health, wealth and happiness can has to work with the market: a
happened to people’s consideration not be divorced from each other. In system in which exchange creates
of health, wealth and happiness turn, given increases in population value and “putting aside today
during the recession to understand and productivity over time, it for the benefit of tomorrow” is at
how important sustained prosperity implies that, for the foreseeable the heart of human activity. At its
can be for many. Mind you, given future, growth will remain a key best, this “capitalism” is not about
the UK proclivity to indulge in element of human reality. On the accumulating “stuff” and instant
repeated property booms, you have supply side, this links through gratification. Rather, it is about
to ask whether we really learn the employment, skills, technology and development and prosperity for

11

DAME SUZI LEATHER Health, Wealth and Happiness: what makes a prosperous region?

capital investment, for growth in
enterprise and an expansion of
the knowledge economy. And they
are right to do so. As we have
seen recently economic resilience
matters. But so too does social
resilience. We are at heart social
and spiritual beings. And if we are
to protect and foster authentic
well-being we need to pay
attention to growing those aspects
of our lives.

A basic psychological need is
to love and be loved. The social
connectedness in which love
is embedded starts with the
family, so I believe that those
commentators who emphasise the
What is prosperity? family are right. But I do not think
that strengthening the family can And so we come to difference and in inequality and to look beyond the
To prosper means to thrive, to do be divorced from public policy; nor, inequality itself. How is this related culture of personal contentment
well, to succeed. It does not mean in my view, does a strong state to prosperity? The answer, as Richard to a concern for those who do not
to get, or be, rich. Indeed the drive imply weak families. Wilkinson and Kate Pickett have so share in comparative well-being. To
for riches is often anathema to brilliantly shown in The Spirit Level, is be vigilant about the more distant
prosperity. We seem to be almost Next we require others to very strongly indeed. More unequal dangers that result from a short-
hard-wired to want to improve recognise us, to treat us, as societies have poorer outcomes run preoccupation with individual
our lot but when the concept of having worth. What we might call whether you measure it by teenage comfort.
improvement is purely a material the politics of respect. This is not pregnancy, drug use, crime, ill-health
notion and when it is based only just a matter of us each being (mental and physical), educational There is a substantial role for
on individual gain then, ironically, nice to each other in our private attainment and so on. The forces government (central and local) in
we begin to drive out precisely that lives, although that is necessary. driving increases in inequality are minimising - through social security,
which underpins true prosperity. Again, there are public policy plain – you only have to consider how state pensions, health care and
So, if we wish to build a prosperous dimensions: equality of opportunity inequality has grown in recent times education - inequality and its
region, what should we aim for? to education, health and social in spite of unprecedented amounts effects. But I am interested also
services, policing, broadband and of money and effort being devoted to in informal organisations whereby
There will be others who argue so on. Underpinning this politics of combating it. we express a concern for the well-
an economic case, who will focus respect must be a recognition of being of others, through activities
on jobs and employment, who diversity and equal opportunities So seeking prosperity requires us which lie outside politics and public
will explain the need for inward regardless of difference. continually to strive against increases provision but which nevertheless

12


reflect and advance concern for So, in a sense, it also is with society. or the neighbour who will go in and This matters because we are social
others. The small acts of kindness Deeper social roots, means richer sit with an elderly confused parent beings, we derive our sense of
which show neighbourliness, the societal loam, better able to help while their son or daughter gets ourselves from how others perceive
voluntary organisations which build individuals withstand the vicissitudes a break, or the community music and treat us. And prosperity in the
connectedness, the patchwork of of life. Reliable, dependable, group which puts on monthly live modern world requires a continuing
citizens who do so much to stabilise adequately funded public services performances in the village hall, and resilient intermeshing of
and sustain our social fabric. may in effect be socially stabilising, or the environmental volunteer the myriad communities which
but they will never absolutely replace who helps clear the drainage ditch constitute our civic society. We need
So as we try to arrive at a common in efficacy and reach the authentic, around that precious land, whether community organisations strong
articulation of what prosperity simple and responsive provision of it’s the avid walker who picks up enough to secure people’s identities
means let me put the case charitable activity. litter as he strides across the moor, and relationships.
for including in it: richness of or the young woman who meets
associational forms. How can we So whether it’s faith communities, prisoners through the gate release I belive that there is a strong case
prosper without that complex social play groups, older people’s scheme, these all share something to be made for regional prosperity
connectedness which constitutes lunch clubs, environmental or in common. They all demonstrate a depending on a healthy third sector
civic society? arts organisations, whether it’s sense of connectedness and mutual comprising organisational forms
the volunteer who supports the responsibility. They represent what which express, foster and cement
A system which allows for few frightened young parent who is social science jargon might term connectedness.
or no social forms between the overwhelmed by the yo-yo-ing ‘polyvalent social links’ or, more
individual or family and the state emotions of caring for a tiny child, prosaically, ‘social glue’.
is totalitarian. A system which
structures most relations between
individuals through corporations, as
modern Japanese society has done,
is proving to be peculiarly vulnerable
to the new social challenges
of unemployment and aging.
(Interestingly there are now in Japan
deliberate attempts to try to create
and foster civic society.)

So what would a region seeking
prosperity try to foster? An analogy
from climate science might help.
The thickness of soil determines
how much carbon is released to the
atmosphere. A thicker layer traps
more carbon. And what determines
the soil’s thickness? The length of
plant roots.

13

PROFESSOR KATIE WILLIAMS Health, Wealth and Happiness: what makes a prosperous region?

housing is still delivered in ‘placeless’, and green space; good public transport in anything close to the definition
single-use, speculative, developments, and other transport infrastructure; of a sustainable community set out
with little urban design or civic merit. In buildings that can meet different needs above (Williams and Lindsay, 2007). A
this paper, I ask what is going wrong, over time and that minimise the use number of reports have assessed the
and offer some thoughts on what we of resources; well integrated mix of UK’s progress and conclude that while
could do to deliver more sustainable decent homes of different types and some new housing developments
and prosperous (in the widest sense) tenures; good quality local public are performing better than previous
places in the SW. services; sense of place; right links developer norms in terms of urban
with the wider; regional, national and design, and some aspects of energy
First, is seems useful to set out international community; sufficient efficiency, travel behaviour and
exactly what is meant by a sustainable size, scale and density and the right community development, they are
community. In the UK, a definition is layout to support basic amenities not delivering on community cohesion
used that encompasses both new and in the neighbourhood and minimise (many are just remote dormitory
regeneration schemes. Sustainable use of resources (including land). settlements), service provision and
communities are argued to have Summarised from ODPM, 2003, p.5 many other key sustainability features
a mixture of specific physical and (findings summarised from reports by Williams,
2007; Williams and Lindsay, 2007; Sustainable
non-physical qualities (see the table Sustainable communities are seen as
Development Commission, 2007; Power 2004;
below); with a fundamental focus on desirable in the UK because they are a CLG, 2006; TCPA, 2004, RICS, 2007).
Sustainable and Prosperous achieving balanced and integrated genuine attempt to avoid past failures
Communities in the South West: social, economic and environmental in housing and planning. The concept These same reports offer some
how can we achieve quantity components. The emphasis is on has incorporated lessons learnt from insights into why things are going
and quality? housing and other uses, such as mass social housing, periods of poor wrong, citing variously, a mismatch
employment, community, and design (urban and architectural) and between delivery partners’ aspirations,
Even given the current economic education, with a real concern for the ineffective, property-led, regeneration. objectives and timescales (particularly
climate, it is likely that there will be needs of communities now and in More specifically, sustainable between regulators and regulated)
large scale housing, and therefore, the future. Importantly, ‘sustainable communities are an attempt to and a lack of local benefits accruing
urban growth in the South West communities’ are presented as ‘mixed’ address the ‘sustainability agenda’, by from new developments (which
in the next 20-30 years. Latest communities, containing, for example, valuing the environmental, social and means that new housing is seen as
projections show that the number social and private housing, a mix of economic attributes of a scheme an imposition not a responsibility, and
of households in the Region will housing forms and household types. over time. hence treated as a numbers game,
increase by 36% between 2006 rather than an exercise in ‘place-
and 2031. The Government’s stated A sustainable community has: a Although we have had pro-sustainable making’). In these circumstances, sites
aim is to accommodate this growth flourishing local economy; strong communities policy guidance for are often developed speculatively,
in sustainable (and prosperous) leadership; effective engagement and over a decade, and the ‘Sustainable with no detailed or long-term plans
communities: we have had central participation (especially in the planning, Communities Programme’ since 2003, by the local authorities. The problem
government guidance and ‘sustainable design and long-term stewardship of evidence of progress on the ground is with this system is summed up by
communities’-focused policy for over the community); active voluntary and disappointing. Although it is difficult to Liz Pearce, Chief Exec of the British
10 years. Yet, we seem to struggle community sector; diverse, vibrant and get a true picture of advances, recent Property Federation when she states
to deliver, both in terms of quality creative local culture; safe and healthy research suggests that only a minority ‘One of the shortcomings of the
and quantity, and the majority of our local environment; well-designed public of all new housing is being delivered predominant build-for-sale housing

14


model is that the developer does is not to say that ‘anything goes’ but design by showing people do not local authorities have greater local
not retain long-term interest in the that we need to find housing solutions necessarily behave more sustainably autonomy and financial independence,
site. There is no incentive to produce focused around agreed principles in so-called ‘sustainable’ housing and work within more flexible regional
a design better than the minimum (of sustainable development, such schemes (Williams et al., 2009). Again, this planning frameworks. They often lead
needed to make a sale, and issues as the prudent use of resources needs careful consideration to ensure in master planning and engagement.
such as the design of the public and social equity) but then to realise we are not repeating past mistakes in In many instances, local authorities are
realm and long term maintenance a range of solutions, which could physical determinism. landowners (or have some stake in the
can be sidelined without any impact include, for example community land land) and can therefore demonstrate
on profit.’ Further, delivery problems trusts, more co-housing, small scale In addition, we need to develop more leadership, and they can often borrow
were also found with the complexity developments and also some larger sustainable and effective delivery money at cheaper rates from municipal
of the process, including numerous new settlements. We need to accept mechanisms. We need to maximise banks to forward-fund. A wider range
agents, mismatched regulatory and also that with multiple visions go wide- what we can do within the current of house-builders is often involved
funding systems, and poor phasing ranging actions to achieve sustainable planning and delivery systems (self-procurement groups, private and
of infrastructure and amenities. In communities, some actions may be (learning from good practice in the social landlords, etc), and this gives
addition, private investment was often top-down and capital intensive, others UK). We have to maximise the variety a wider choice of types and tenures
difficult to secure and maintain, and more community (or individually) of public-private partnership models of housing, and more long term
community participation was found to driven. But we need this sophisticated that can be used, depending on local interests. Large scale neighbourhood
be problematic. Many of the reports vision, delivered by people with circumstances (Studdert, 2009). We also developments often have more local
also cite a low skills base, within and experience and knowledge of have to ensure committed leadership support than in the UK because of
between professions trying to deliver different models. from individuals or organisations that sustained municipality and community
sustainable communities. And, partly have medium or long term interests, involvement, and visible benefits
as a consequence of these problems, We also need to develop a stronger rather than short term goals: this could (op cit).
the sustainable communities agenda evidence base around sustainable be from LAs, architects, developers,
is also not meeting housing targets: communities and act on it. We need communities or land owners. And we In conclusion, it is possible, but
housing completions have halved since to monitor what works and what have to develop teams with mutual difficult to deliver truly sustainable
2007 and most completed units have
, does not. Unfortunately, much ‘good interests, with better skilled team communities in the UK, where people
had some sort of subsidy. practice’ is now accepted wisdom, and members. Project management and can live prosperous and healthy lives.
is not based on learning or evidence. community engagement also have We need a wider portfolio of options
So, what could we do to deliver better For example, current policy advice is to be prioritised from the outset and than the straightforward build-for sale
quality and quantity? First, I believe for higher density housing, yet recent managed so all stakeholders are model, with more skilled, pro-active,
we need a far more sophisticated research questions the desirability of involved early enough in the process. confident and visionary professionals
and varied vision of what we want high density developments, showing involved in delivery. We also need
to achieve. We need to lose the a correlation between density and Finally, we need to learn from places to focus our efforts on what works:
obsession with finding one model of dissatisfaction with the area (Bramley and where higher quality and faster especially taking into account how
sustainable living (see Guy and Marvin, Power, 2009). This type of evidence has housing delivery works. We need to people really want to live. We also
1999). ‘Sustainable’ communities to be weighed against the strategic take note of what is happening in other need to press for higher quality built
can be found in multiple guises, and benefits of higher densities in a far countries and see what is potentially environments, and to seek wider
could include different urban forms, more considered way. Other new transferable (see Studdert, 2009; Falk and changes that move us towards the
designs and scales. And crucially, we research challenges the conventional Hall, 2009). For example, in countries benefits of some the European
must find more local solutions. This wisdom on sustainable neighbourhood such as Germany and Sweden delivery models.

15

SIMON MAUGER Health, Wealth and Happiness: what makes a prosperous region?

Despite education policies that have when futures thinking feels a In a ‘prediction culture’ educators
sought to ever more closely tie confirmatory exercise rather than an are politically contracted to adapt
students’ educational experiences exploratory one; for futures thinking and modernise to prepare students
to their future economic activities, is by definition a starting point, not for futures designed and decided
there is in fact very little opportunity a means of setting out a repertoire elsewhere; discouraged from actively
for students to meaningfully reflect of solutions. It is an ‘open process’, exploring the features of social or
upon their individual and collective involving understanding the nature technological change historically
futures in schools, colleges and of uncertainty, inclusive of allowing and in contemporary society.
universities, and limited support for the qualitative and emotional drivers The education institution is no
them to develop positive strategies as well as the quantitative and longer seen as a site within which
for shaping and directing their future more rehearsed evidence. But we alternative ideas for the future can
trajectories. Instead, young people’s have contemporary obsession with be shaped and generated. This is
experiences of preparing for their quantitative indicators as opposed unhealthy both for the institutions
futures may be characterised by to qualitative understanding and a and for the individual.
careers guidance acknowledged prolonged focus on the quantitative
as inadequate, and by pessimistic generates short-sightedness and With each new government, an
visions of future catastrophe at a overbearing attention on the present alternative social future is presented
Health, Wealth and Happiness global and societal level, resulting
and Futures Thinking* in children overly optimistic about
their chances of achieving fame
We live in uncertain times. In and fortune and overly pessimistic
our internal worlds we are very and passive in the face of global
familiar with futures thinking - we concerns.
plan our future, rehearse possible
situations, and we develop internal More fundamentally, there is
dialogues that can propose and argue ambivalence in our culture that
viewpoints. At a psychological level on one hand proposes high levels
this is a very necessary and healthy of uncertainty (environmental,
process. These are skills are closely social, economic), while suggesting
associated with our mental wellbeing paternalistic political models to be
and our capacity to interface with in charge of solutions, if only we
the external world, nurturing and agree and comply. Futures thinking
applying the strategies and tactics is misrepresented as being about
that we need to survive and flourish. prediction, prescribing ‘answers’ so
Many therapies are essentially based that stakes can be claimed. The real
on working to develop this capacity. empowerment of citizens actually
But to what extent does society, engaging with uncertainty is not
and in particular education, assist us politically proposed as a matter for
develop these skills, or indeed even mature citizen involvement. In this
acknowledge them? culture, we should be suspicious

16


and with these future visions, strategies for responding to, of whatever age to understand * This Paper is both a summary
new responsibilities for education, shaping and adapting to socio- how best they might contribute of and development from a
skills and learning are proclaimed technical change? How do individually and collectively to Discussion Paper prepared for the
- prepare ‘good citizens’, ensure we move beyond either naïve imagining, building and shaping ESRC Education Futures Seminar
workplace skills, teach sustainability. complacency or blind pessimism alternative futures for themselves, Programme 2010, co-authored by
Analysis of representations of the in building our understanding their communities and their planet. Professor Keri Facer, Professor
future in policy, however, suggests about possible social futures So, to fully equip individuals Anna Craft, and Simon Mauger.
that these future visions are more and education’s role in shaping to engage with their possible
likely to be rhetorical than premised these? And how do we equip futures, to explore their current
upon thoughtful, democratic and individuals, institutions and situation and possible trajectories,
considered examination of possible education systems to debate to rethink how their past leads to
social change. The transformation of and create the desirable social their present, is a radical challenge
‘the future’ into a rhetorical device and educational futures that to current temporal stances in
in political discourse rather than an they may imagine? What we do education and for learning through
emergent reality of social change know at present is that in our life, but it is fundamental to the
has a number of implications: it culture there are limited external health, wealth and happiness of
treats the future as something that tools to support individuals our region.
can be mobilised at will rather than
a consequence of our contemporary
actions and decisions; it militates
against the careful questioning of
the evidence and ideas used to
inform these future visions; and
it discourages examination of the
diversity (or more often, uniformity)
of voices involved in producing ideas
of the future. In short, it provides a
very poor basis for any attempts to
plan or prepare us for the complex,
contested and uncertain futures we
will undoubtedly have.

How might those concerned with
education and learning through life
contribute to developing thoughtful
engagement with future possibilities?
How do we draw on the lessons
learned from our existing research
traditions to enhance education’s
capacity for developing informed

17

JONATHON PORRITT CBE Health, Wealth and Happiness: what makes a prosperous region?

of the British economy will not only
address issues such as climate change
and peak oil, but it will also support
the development and growth of
completely new industries and, with
that, new investment and new jobs.

Let us just take a look at one feature
of this process, the campaign to
improve the energy efficiency of
existing homes (often referred to as
“The Great British Refurb”), which
some commentators predict will
become the UK’s largest single
engineering project since the Second
World War. Our homes are responsible
for around 27% of the country’s
carbon emissions; and all the main
political parties now acknowledge
Practically realising prosperity that action to improve the energy the regional economy of the South renewal of our poorest communities
efficiency of existing housing is an West have been undermined and we MUST prepare!
For society to prosper there is a essential component of the nation’s rendered less resilient by the collapse
role for government in supporting strategy to meet our carbon reduction of its manufacturing base. But here, Our government and its agents,
communities and addressing the commitments. with the demand created by the desire (including the banks....we own them
evil of poverty. to improve over 25 million existing and as a result we find ourselves
Predictions based on the experience homes, we are in serious danger of in a once-in-a-lifetime position to
One of the most important of our neighbours in Europe, creating a new manufacturing ‘sector’. influence their investment policies)
features of a modern and resilient particularly the Germans, who are must respond with a concerted
economy is its ability to provide now eighteen years into a serious Clearly this is a major opportunity, strategy designed to support
access to sustainable, properly ‘retrofit’ of their housing stock, a real example of how the recovery business and ensure this programme
paid employment. In the past, a indicate that such a programme is from this current recession can be is supplied with the resources it
legitimate criticism of a great deal likely to create over 200,000 jobs. Add genuinely ‘green’. However these requires. In addition we must also
of green politics has been that it to this the potential benefits that new, things don’t happen by themselves. respond with investment to develop
ignored this essential requirement, cheap sources of energy will bring In order to ensure that the UK and the skills and knowledge of the
and I believe this has undermined to the significant proportion of the the South West does benefit from workforce, not only targeting existing
the ability of green campaigners to UK population who are experiencing this opportunity and, perhaps more industries, but also unemployed
appeal to the core of British opinion. problems heating their homes. This importantly from a sustainable people and those communities
is amazing! development point of view, in order to who have faced exclusion from the
Today, I am very happy to say, things ensure that those benefits contribute employment opportunities of the past
have changed; the decarbonisation There is little doubt that the UK and to the sustainable regeneration and few decades.

18

BIBLIOGRAPHY ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
Gabriel Scally Katie Williams Many thanks to the speakers Front cover and conference
Berry, T. (2003). The Mystique of Bramley G and Power S (2009) who gave presentations and/or photography by James Hembrow,
the Earth. Caduceus, Spring 2003 www.CityForm.org; CABE (2009) who took part in panel debates at this Captured Studios
(Issue 59). Should Build Our Homes?, CABE 2009; conference, and especially those www.captured-studios.co.uk
Commission on the Measurement CLG (2007) Eco-Towns prospectus, who contributed to this report.
of Economic Performance and www.communities.gov.uk; Conference design by
Social Progress. (2009). Report CLG, (2007) Homes for the Future, Thank you also to the sponsors Room 7 Advertising & Design
by the Commission on the www.communities.gov.uk; DEFRA listed at the front of this publication www.room7 .uk.com
Measurement of Economic (2006) Sustainable Communities: A for their support.
Performance and shared agenda, a share of the action, Special thanks to Paul Brown
Social Progress. TSO, Norwich; Falk N and Hall P (2009) The event programme, session (SW Public Health Observatory) and
Marmot, M. (2010). Fair Society,
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Planning, Jan.; Falk N (2008) Beyond
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summaries andSOUTH WEST OBSERVATORY from
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SOUTH WEST OBSERVATORY
the day are available to view or
SPONSORS
Dominic Murphy (Creating Excellence)

Review. The Marmot Review.
Ura, K. (2008). Explanation
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URBED; Falk N (2008) Making Eco- SPONSORS
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