PASCAL Briefing Paper 14 - Integrating happiness in sustainable learning cities

The latest PASCAL Briefing Paper 14, Integrating happiness in sustainable learning cities, written by Peter Kearns, is now available In English, Mandarin and Korean. We offer our thanks to Dr Yuan Dayong of Beijing Academy of Social Sciences for the translation into Mandarin and to Dr. Euna Yang of Korea Nazarene University for the translation into Korean, arranged by Professor Han Soonghee of Seoul National University.

Executive Summary

The United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), and the enhanced interest in sustainable development, have served to focus interest on how happiness and well-being can be enhanced in communities as important dimensions in good sustainable development. This increased interest has been fuelled by metrics available for most countries through the World Happiness Reports (WHRs) produced every year since 2012. The reports show the high performance of the Scandinavian countries, and the connections between low levels of happiness and poverty and disadvantage. The 2017 World Happiness Report concluded that happiness should be seen “as the proper measure of social progress, and the goal of social progress”.

While the Scandinavian development model with its high happiness levels is attractive, a recent issue of the National Geographic on The Search for Happiness compared Denmark, Singapore, and Costa Rica and showed that happiness can be enhanced in different ways. The 2016 WHR identified six factors driving happiness.

Developments in positive psychology provide guidance on ways to enhance happiness in communities, including observing the distinction between pleasures and gratifications made by Seligman. Gratifications through activities such as volunteering and community collaborative projects should be built into all stages of the lifecycle in learning communities, and are particularly valuable for active ageing.

Happiness and well-being should be explicit objectives in learning city/community development with policies and activities to build purpose and meaning into lives. Building mindful learning cultures in communities should be expressed in personal development, local community action, and in fostering empathy, civic sentiment, and global consciousness.