Mayor Joseph A. Curtatone invites all community members to attend an interactive community meeting to discuss the results of the city’s Well-Being Survey, which was conducted earlier this year in conjunction with the annual City Census and via anonymous resident surveys. Lauded internationally for its innovative approach to measuring residents’ happiness, the City of Somerville worked with Harvard University Psychology Professor Daniel Gilbert, who is internationally recognized for his research on happiness, to create the survey and analyze trends in results.

The final city report will be presented and discussed at a participatory community meeting on Tuesday, August 23  at 6:30 p.m. in the Somerville High School Library. Data and findings will be discussed, and resident input for our next steps will be sought. Also, through a few fun activities, residents will be asked to share anecdotes and opinions about aspects of living in Somerville that impact their happiness. This qualitative anecdotal information will further inform our research. All are invited.

“The community’s response to this Well-Being Survey has been tremendous, and I’m really looking forward to sharing the data and our findings in a fun, interactive way that also continues to welcome resident input to help us shape the city’s future,” said Mayor Curtatone.

“We collected more than 6,500 responses from residents, and we have received overwhelmingly positive feedback on our efforts to collect this kind of information,” said Tara Acker, the city’s SomerStat Director.  “While we’ve analyzed much of the survey responses, we want to continue to receive feedback from residents that will help us determine better ways to collect data, and how to use this information to inform policies in the future.”

Inspired by researchers and governments in France and Britain, the City of Somerville became the first municipality in the U.S. to measure well-being.  Since beginning this approach in January 2011, the City has received national attention from sources such as the New York Times, the Christian Science Monitor, and CBS Evening News, among others, for its innovative approach to city government.