Santa Monica, USA

2019 Category Winner Community

The City of Santa Monica’s Wellbeing City Index is designed for local governments to measure the impact of policies and programs on resident’s lives through a framework of wellbeing. The development of the Index was guided by a cross-disciplinary panel of experts including environmentalists, economists, cognitive researchers, policy specialists and more. The Index generates findings about how residents are doing across dimensions of Community, Economic Opportunity, Health, Place & Planet, Learning, and Outlook. After the release of the second Wellbeing Index, a new City performance management program was created to track city departments’ progress towards wellbeing and environmental sustainability outcomes.

“Wellbeing can be measured. What can be measured can be improved. Government exists to protect and promote the quality of people’s lives, with local government uniquely positioned to translate measurement into action. Prioritizing wellbeing is not a should for cities – it’s a must.”

Gleam Davis, Mayor, Santa Monica, USA

Santa Monica: Wellbeing In Action

by Gleam Davis, Mayor, Santa Monica, USA