Global Urban Happiness

BACKGROUND

|•

HOW IT WORKS

•

SUBSCRIPTION BENEFITS

[ the happiness index]

design planning

b at c h u

::

franek

::

verma

•

C O N TA C T U S

BACKGROUND

|•

HOW IT WORKS

•

SUBSCRIPTION BENEFITS

•

C O N TA C T U S

will. It’s critical to gain a truer understanding of

Relevant Trends:

The world’s largest cities are growing by the

what’s happening: the rise of super cities is the

Urban population growth

thousands everyday, attracting optimistic

defining mega-trend of the 21st century.

Population movement

urban development

Pressure on resources

newcomers with opportunities not available anywhere else. While this growth not only drives

In 1800, less than 3% of the world lived in cities.

Globalization

the economy, it also creates new stresses on the

Most people lived their entire lives without ever

Rise in terrorism

urban environment. Consequently, the world’s

seeing one. In 1900, 150 million people lived in

Underdeveloped urban infrastructure

largest cities are under pressure to not only meet

cities. That number now has surged past 3 billion

their new inhabitants structural demands for

and last year crossed another tipping point: more

housing and services, but also for health, well

than half the people on earth now live in cities.

being and economic opportunity. This trend,

2050- it will be more than 2/3 of us. Humans are

along with its findings and their influence is

now urban species, cramming into vast urban

outlined in the 19 20 21 initiative described below.

agglomerations.”

Excerpts from www.192021.org

“While some say the world is flat, super cities are rising. Vast intensely urban hubs will radically redefine the world’s future macroeconomic and cultural landscape. Most of the world’s population right now lives and works in the cities. Many more

design planning

b at c h u

::

franek

::

verma

t h e h a p p i n e s s i n d e x [ GUH ]

2

BACKGROUND

|•

HOW IT WORKS

•

SUBSCRIPTION BENEFITS

•

C O N TA C T U S

has two fold advantages. One it helps us in expressing

what is happiness?

ourselves and removing frustration which is a product

GUH is “The measure of happiness”. It is a tool to

of the busy and stressful city life. And two it helps us

discover what makes a city happy and what could make its people happier. GUH captures the constantly changing mood of a city at every second and presents it in the form of interesting and revealing data.

It engages its participants and viewers by being interactive and addictive. Not only is GUH fun, it is also a great resource for people, industries, governments and other organizations.

realize what is truly important for us. It is this sum of everything that’s important and of value to us that we label as happiness though it can very well be called by any other name as well. Knowing what is important and what would make us happier helps everyone to channel lies their efforts.

The Gross urban happiness index will contribute to this understanding of rapid urban development

why happiness?

and its effects on happiness levels. Not only would

Cities are growing and changing at super speed.

it collect day to day happy thoughts along with the

Population growth and migration to urban areas is causing a strain on the resources in these cities. Add to it globalization, technological development and internet penetration and it changes lives in these cities right from the language to professions, social customs and popular culture. But when things are changing at such speed it’s essential to take a little time out and ask ourselves how we feel, if we like things as they are if we are at a place we want to be, and if not then

sorrows and grievances, It will capture and record the happiness levels for every event and action that affect a city. For example, during times of urban disruption such as terrorist attacks or natural disasters such as floods and earthquakes. GUH will help to improve our understanding of urban preparedness and to inform those concerned for future investment, exercises and policy development.

how would we like things to be better. This reflection

design planning

b at c h u

::

franek

::

verma

t h e h a p p i n e s s i n d e x [ GUH ]

3

BACKGROUND

|•

HOW IT WORKS

•

SUBSCRIPTION BENEFITS

•

C O N TA C T U S

The GUH has potential for contributing to brand

defining the platform This platform has the capabilities of permitting

value and cachet if implemented with other existing

unanticipated extensions and applications.

applications such as MySpace, Friendster, Live Journal,

Developers may be able to design widgets for

Blogger ect. Not only can GUH contribute to brand

dashboards and desktops that utilize the GUH index.

value with partners, but the index will eventually

Other application developments that will make the

establish its own identifying value, thus becoming a

GUH index more accessible will surface once the

reputable source of urban happiness levels.

public realizes the potential. During the beginning stages however, there may be more physical

As the GUH platform develops there may be increasing

gatherings, seminars, and public initiatives,

economic returns, however the GUH index will value

which result from people taking action that does

contributions from individuals and firms much more

not require advanced information technology.

than returns.

Firms that are looking to develop will be using the

Because the GUH encourages independent application

GUH index as a reference. Using the GUH as a guide to

development on top of the existing platform, there

decision making, a particular firm may eventually be

is minimal infringements on IP Protection, however

making money from the concluded choice to relocate

the GUH platform itself will be enjoying IP Protection.

based on the GUH rating in a particular city.

By doing this, GUH will remain an exclusive source of

Measure and compare cities according to four main criteria: Economic Self Reliance Industries, Employment, Industrial Product (output/exports), Commerce Sustainable Organic Growth Population, Resource, management, Environmental issues The State of Urban Culture Cultural conflicts, Religious freedom, Stress, Crime Access to Urban Rights Infrastructure, Health Care, \Transportation, Recreation

formulating urban happiness science.

In addition to making money, a specific firm may look towards the GUH to reveal opportunities for investing into R/D in a specific urban area.

design planning

b at c h u

::

franek

::

verma

t h e h a p p i n e s s i n d e x [ GUH ]

4

BACKGROUND

|•

HOW IT WORKS

•

SUBSCRIPTION BENEFITS

•

C O N TA C T U S

journals to learn more about a city. People write in

dynamic city collages. The collages are archived and

GUH works on participation. Each layer of information

their journals by choosing a keyword from the list of

some of the best ones are also published annually in

is available for a certain condition, mostly free, simple

topics for the day. The topics for the day are selected

the form of a book.

and quick. The main layer is the online website which

according to client needs and the data required for

displays the dynamic happiness collages for each city.

detailed reports paid for by industries, governments

The feelings from the journal entries are then plotted

These collages contain two types of information, facts

and other organizations. The topic list is an exhaustive

on a color scale that assigns a color for each feeling.

and feelings. The facts are in the form of news feeds,

one that covers all four sectors of happiness and

The scale ranges form extreme happiness or ecstasy

history and statistical information regarding the

gives participants enough choice Some of the topics

to extreme sorrow or tragic and includes everything

city. These are obtained using data mining software

will be direct while some will be slightly abstract. For

in between including neutral. This scale is used on the

that gathers information already on internet. Each of

example if one of GUH’s clients wants to know more

city page as well as on the common page to compare

this displayed information can be traced back to its

about the state of public transportation in Chicago,

and view all cities at once. The common page contains

original source. This forms the background of each

GUH could add keywords such as daily commute,

a rotating globe with the worlds largest 19 cities

city’s page and provides a context for feelings to float

bus, rush hours, on the road, traffic jams, adventure,

marked on it. Each city emanates a colorful aura or

in.

and journey etc to the daily lists. The keywords might

frequency of happiness based on these journals.

how does GUH work?

change daily but may be pertaining to the same In the foreground are thoughts and pictures posted

research topic. So for instance in the earlier example,

by people themselves in their personal journals on

“rush hours ” may be the topic for one day while

GUH. The journal is available to all members, and

based on the results for the day the next day’s topic

membership is free. To be a member you only have to

could be “ traffic jams” or “ the bus”. The numbers of

provide your zip code, a login name and password.

members who choose to write about any topic show

The most active members are featured on their city’s

the level of affectedness or relevance of that topic for

page. Members can also visit other member’s personal

that city. These journal entries then form a part of the

design planning

b at c h u

::

franek

::

verma

t h e h a p p i n e s s i n d e x [ GUH ]

5

BACKGROUND

|•

HOW IT WORKS

•

SUBSCRIPTION BENEFITS

types of innovation

•

C O N TA C T U S

Product System Creating aggregated and individual happiness meters

Finance Business Model - Paying / Contributing participation

Networking Subscribing in addition to partnering with existing social networks

Service Providing a universal urban comparison for happiness

Delivery Channel Accessing the platform will occur in multidisciplinary ways

Brand

Process

Evolving the brand into a universal creditable resource

Enabling Process - Gathering given statistics just to start the process of calculating

Customer Experience Participating to understand and share happiness, while looking at it as a resource

Core Process Gathering happy thoughts will eventually to calculate happiness

Offering Product Performance - Updating live, the index will display a real time happiness level

design planning

b at c h u

::

franek

::

verma

t h e h a p p i n e s s i n d e x [ GUH ]

6

BACKGROUND

|•

HOW IT WORKS

•

SUBSCRIPTION BENEFITS

•

C O N TA C T U S

- eg. the user types into the form field on the previous page “I got to work on time, the metro is awesome” and goes under the tag field “Access to Urban Rights” and enters “work on time”

Interface elements: basic outline for measuring happiness in each of 19 cities.

1. The user will log into the web application by entering his or her zip code, username and password.

2. The user will then enter into a form field a written

5. In addition to seeing his/her city populated by a color-coded happiness spectrum, a secondary view compares the 18 other cities in rank of happiness according to the user’s tagged variable.

statement about a happy moment or interaction pertaining to one of the four categories:

These visualizations should aim to quickly bring meaning to the tagged terms entered and to provide

• Economic Self Reliance

a comparison with other cities in the 192021 database.

• Sustainable Organic Growth • The State of Urban Culture, and • Access to Urban Rights 3. The user will enter a tag into a tag field (there are four, one for each of the above categories) and submit to the system. The purpose of tagging is related to the next step.

4. On the next page the user is shown a map of his or her city location. The zip code of residence is highlighted and the happiness levels are indicated for the tagged entry.

design planning

b at c h u

::

franek

::

verma

t h e h a p p i n e s s i n d e x [ GUH ]

7

BACKGROUND

|•

HOW IT WORKS

•

SUBSCRIPTION BENEFITS

who will use the happiness index and why?

Everyone would use the happiness index.

People will use it much in the same way they check the weather every day. They would participate in it for the same reason as why people write blogs and post their pictures on flickr. GUH would help these people to express themselves. It would also help them in evaluate cities they intend to move to or go for a vacation to. Local populations will understand how to make better use of their resources and to leverage capabilities to get better returns, and in setting up businesses and exploring export options to other cities.

Some areas of opportunity will be globalization, trade and development, investment, industrialization and policy.

We will show industries the opportunities for growth, for investment and also what incentives will be valuable to the city they intend to set industries or businesses in.

design planning

b at c h u

::

franek

::

verma

•

C O N TA C T U S

It would help governments to create fiscal measures and regulation for industries.

Governments would be able to evaluate FDI companies in terms of their overall benefit to the city. It would also help them in preventing environmental degradation, exploitation of local resources and tackling infrastructure problems with private partnerships. Eventually GUH may be used to reduce crimes, social conflicts and dissatisfaction.

Involvement of external bodies like UNCTD, WTO etc might promote GUH. There is a possibility that an organization like the National League of Cities would be interested in a platform like this. In addition to it evolving into the hands of an organization, it can also be acquired by an existing company like Google.

t h e h a p p i n e s s i n d e x [ GUH ]

8

BACKGROUND

|•

HOW IT WORKS

•

SUBSCRIPTION BENEFITS

what will keep users coming back?

Individuals will keep coming back and adding entries and submitting surveys. Once governments start regulating and supporting companies on the basis of our index, companies will have to look for newer offerings and ways to compete, such as positive sum competition. Firms will keep coming back to the index to see the happiness levels of cities and to find opportunities for creating happiness.

They may also like to show how they increased the happiness levels in a previous city and how it has been used to promote their brand value. Industries will want to check the GUH rating of a potential site selection for development.

For Industries the GUH score for each city will ultimately reveal insight by analyzing information from individuals and statistics that help make decisions within the following topics:

design planning

b at c h u

::

franek

::

verma

•

C O N TA C T U S

• General information: ownership, start-up.

• Infrastructure and Services: power, water, transport, and communication technologies.

• Sales and Supplies: imports, exports, supply and demand conditions.

• Degree of Competition: price and supply changes, competitors • Capacity: use of production capacity, hours of operation • Land: land ownership, land access issues.

• Crime: extent and losses due to crime.

• Business-Government Relations: quality of public services, consistency of policy, regulatory compliance costs • Investment Climate Constraints: evaluation of general obstacles.

• Finance: sources of finance, terms of finance, financial services.

• Labor: worker skills training, skill availability, employment, and education levels of workers

THOUGHTS. The last competency would be advanced technology of some sort, to automate the collection of data.

Involvement of external bodies like UNCTD, WTO etc might promote GUH. There is a possibility that an organization like the National League of Cities, would be interested in a platform like this. In addition to it evolving into the hands of an organization, it can also be acquired by an existing company like Google.

The money will be contributed by paid subscribers which may include industries and governments. There are several options to • Productivity: Numbers and figures needed to estimate increase uptake. Industries and governments will be the primary benefactors of the GUH, These are often analyzed with help from the chief accountant or human resource manager. however additional organizations such as but not limited to, UNCTD, WTO, IMF and the Some core competencies that will accelerate World Bank. In addition to organizations our time to the market would be researching participating, other software developers and and developing happiness science, which is the key to measuring happiness. In addition can build upon this platform. to the GUH would need a desirable interface with interactive graphics to highlight HAPPY

t h e h a p p i n e s s i n d e x [ GUH ]

9

BACKGROUND

|•

HOW IT WORKS

•

SUBSCRIPTION BENEFITS

•

C O N TA C T U S

The GUH has potential for contributing to brand

how will it develop?

This platform has the capabilities of permitting

value and cachet if implemented with other existing

unanticipated extensions and applications.

applications such as My Space, Friendster, Live

Developers may be able to design widgets for

Journal, Blogger etc. Not only can GUH contribute

dashboards and desktops that utilize the GUH index.

to brand value with partners, but the index will

Other application developments that will make the

eventually establish its own identifying value, thus

GUH index more accessible will surface once the

becoming a reputable source of urban happiness

public realizes the potential. During the beginning

levels.

stages however, there may be more physical gatherings, seminars, and public initiatives, which

As the GUH platform develops there may be increasing

result from people taking action that does not require

economic returns, however the GUH index will value

advanced information technology.

contributions from individuals and firms much more than returns.

Firms that are looking to develop will be using the GUH index as a reference. Using the GUH as a guide to

Because the GUH encourages independent application

decision making, a particular firm may eventually be

development on top of the existing platform, there

making money from the concluded choice to relocate

are minimal infringements on IP Protection; however

based on the GUH rating in a particular city.

the GUH platform itself will be enjoying IP Protection.

By doing this, GUH will remain an exclusive source of

In addition to making money, a specific firm may look

formulating urban happiness science.

towards the GUH to reveal opportunities for investing into R/D in a specific urban area.

design planning

b at c h u

::

franek

::

verma

t h e h a p p i n e s s i n d e x [ GUH ]

10

BACKGROUND

|•

HOW IT WORKS

•

SUBSCRIPTION BENEFITS

•

C O N TA C T U S

resources 192921.org Development as Freedom, Amartya Sen (Economics Nobel Prize) Financial Times International Monetary Fund Journal of International Development Halpern, David (adviser to Tony Blair) Happiness, Lessons from a New Science, Lord Layard (Professor of Economics at the LSE) Industrial Asset Management Council National League of Cities TED Talks Urban America in Transformation, Benjamin Kleinberg wefeelfine.org World Trade Organization World Bank Organization World Development World Development Federation Diener, Ed (Leading American psychologist professor from the University of Illinois)

design planning

b at c h u

::

franek

::

verma

t h e h a p p i n e s s i n d e x [ GUH ]

11