Public Comment by Trish at Woodinville City Council, July 5, 2011:

The Declaration of Independence says that every citizen has the right to the “pursuit of happiness.”

That pursuit continues. Last month the Seattle City Council endorsed the Happiness Initiative that tracks regional indicators of well-being and sustainability.

Happiness includes Gross National Product and material wealth but it also takes into account our environment, governance, social connections and community vitality.

The on-line Happiness Survey (http://sustainableseattle.org/survey/GNH/en/) has 135 questions that measure well-being. Complete the survey and you will get an instantaneous well-being score!

Seattle residents do well in:
Social Connection - 84%
Psychologcial Well-Being - 78%
Material Wealth - 73%
And not so well in:
Environmental Quality - 46%
Time Balance - 43%

What would the happiness scores of Woodinville residents look like? Transition Woodinville is curious to find out and welcomes a partnership with the city council to initiate this survey, track the results, and announce the outcomes. As Richard Conlin, Seattle City Council President stated in a press release last month, “Measuring the subjective happiness or well-being levels of Seattle residents is an important tool that can help our council make effective policy decisions and can engage our community in conversations about what we really want from life and from our economy.” What makes the citizens of Woodinville happy? Should this not be part of our conversation as we determine the direction and scope of development in and around Woodinville?