An Ecological Economics Capital Stock Approach to Quality of Life Assessment in Burlington, Vermont, USA Jon D. Erickson, Joseph Kelly, and Robert Costanza Rubenstein School of Environment and Natural Resources University of Vermont and the Fall 2003 Introduction to Ecological Economics class: C. Andrews, J. Antonucci, S. Augeri, E. Berliet, M. Birkby, W. Brennan, E. Brown, M. Brundige, M. Buechler, M. Cohen, C. Coleman, C. Coogan, A. Cooper, K. Costello, M. Crane, A. D'Aversa, A. Davis, J. DeCelles, A. Delgado, M. DiBiccari, H. Dudley, J. Dye, A. Effler, M. Egbers, P. Freeman, M. Gilmartin, E. Graves, M. Hall, C. Hancock, E. Harrison, E. Hartz, K. Hayes, C. Herold-Lind, R. Holthaus, D. Hubbard, H. Johansson, L. Junger, B. Kelly, A. Kirschner, A. Klein, M. Martin, I. Marvin, C. McCreight, B. O'Donoghue, M. Palmer, B. Parke, A. Pearlstein, J. Randall, C. Reeves, D. Rosa, C. Smith, J. Smith, R. Sterling, C. Sullivan, T. Van Etten, T., A. Verinis, P. Virchick, A. Voinov, J. Waters Photo: Anton Voinov

Previous Surveys SURVEYYEARSPONSORFOCUS Old North End Neighborhood Survey 2000UVM Comm. Leadership Project NH QOL Vermonter Poll2003 (yearly) UVM Center for Rural Studies Overall life satisfac. NH cohesiveness Pulse of Vermont2000 (every 5) VT Business Roundtable Statewide QOL Community Needs Assessment 2000 (every 5) United Way of Chittenden Cty. Community needs assessment Civic Participation in Vermont 2000Snelling CenterAttitudes about civic participation Our Children, Our Future Youth, and Developmental Assets 1999Champlain Initiative Children’s acquistion of 40 developmental assets

Eight Neighborhoods 1 – New North End 2 – Old North End 3 – Downtown 4 – Collegetown 5 – Northeast 6 – The Hill 8 – South End 7 – Pine Street Thanks to Margaret Bozik from CEDO Burlington, and Eric Brown our resident pizza guy!

Survey Questions I.Neighborhood Identity II.Built Capital III.Natural Capital IV.Human Capital V.Social Capital VI.Total Quality of Life VII.Demographics Photo: Anton Voinov

Neighborhood Identity Please rank the top five regions according to which ones you most identify with as your home, from 1 (most identify) to 5 (least identify).

Importance vs. Happiness For questions rating importance:happiness: [1] Very important [1] Very happy [2] Important [2] Happy [3] Neither important[3] Neither happy or unimportant or unhappy [4] Unimportant[4] Unhappy [5] Very unimportant[5] Very unhappy Photo: Anton Voinov

Built Capital How important are the things you own or rent (for example, your home, car, furniture, clothes, etc.) to your happiness and quality of life? Photo: Anton Voinov

Less Happy than Important Equal More Happy than Important Mean Importance: Home1.58 Food & Drink1.85 Transportation2.24 Entertainment2.64 Cons. Durables2.67 Pers. Access.2.67 Mean Happiness: Food & Drink1.77 Home1.85 Entertainment2.08 Transportation2.12 Pers. Access.2.16 Cons. Durables2.19

Average Happiness Built Capital2.07 Public Investment2.38 Private Investment2.35 City Wide Built Capital Happiness Photo: Anton Voinov

Are you happy with your current family or personal yearly income? Percent “Yes” for Burlington = 66%

If not, how much more income per year would you need to be satisfied?

Natural Capital How important is the quality of the natural environment in which you live (for example, air, water, open space, cleanliness) to your happiness and quality of life?

Less Happy than Important Equal More Happy than Important Mean Importance: Air Quality1.46 Water Resources1.57 Cleanliness1.68 Public Open Space1.91 Noise2.10 Mean Happiness: Air Quality1.85 Water Resources1.94 Public Open Space2.07 Cleanliness2.17 Noise2.41

Human Capital How important are investments made in yourself (for example, education, job skills, health, spirituality) to your happiness and quality of life? Photo: Anton Voinov

Less Happy than Important Equal More Happy than Important Mean Importance: Health Care1.62 Mental Well-Being1.71 Education1.80 Job1.86 Exercise2.12 Mean Happiness: Mental Well-Being1.92 Education1.93 Health Care2.12 Job2.28 Exercise2.33

Social Capital How important are relationships with your family and friends to your happiness and quality of life? How important are interactions with people in your neighborhood to your happiness and quality of life?

Less Happy than Important Equal More Happy than Important Mean Importance: Friends & Fam.1.25 Safety1.56 Public Educ.1.82 Government1.87 Higher Educ.1.92 Organizations2.30 Sense of Com.2.32 Mean Happiness: Friends & Fam.1.62 Safety1.96 Higher Educ.2.09 Organizations2.18 Government2.33 Sense of Com.2.39 Public Educ.2.41

Total Quality of Life How would you rate your overall quality of life (on a scale from 1 [very high] to 5 [very low])? Please distribute 100 points across the following four categories according to their importance to your overall quality of life. Personal and public investments in your home, lifestyle, and neighborhood Investments and access to the natural environment in or near your neighborhood Your personal well-being and investments made in yourself Your relationship with your family, friends, and community Photo: Anton Voinov

Time Allocation Please distribute 100 points across the following four categories according to their importance to your overall quality of life. Personal and public investments in your home, lifestyle, and neighborhood Investments and access to the natural environment in or near your neighborhood Your personal well-being and investments made in yourself Your relationship with your family, friends, and community

Student Effect? Testing the Income Effect

Without Students 21% of respondents Testing the Income Effect

Neighborhood Analysis

New North End Ranking (Data) Avg. Quality of Life6 (1.95) Avg. Happiness with: Built Capital4 (1.99) Natural Capital4 (2.01) Human Capital4 (2.11) Social Capital2 (2.01) Avg. Time Spent doing: Employment4 (33%) Volunteer Activities3 (9%) Household Chores1 (21%) Family Activities2 (19%) Personal Activities8 (20%) Percent with Health Ins.4 (93%) Home Ownership1 (73%) Satisfied with Yrly Income2 (75%)

Old North End Ranking (Data) Avg. Quality of Life8 (2.10) Avg. Happiness with: Built Capital7 (2.11) Natural Capital8 (2.35) Human Capital2 (2.00) Social Capital4 (2.25) Avg. Time Spent doing: Employment2 (37%) Volunteer Activities5 (7%) Household Chores3 (19%) Family Activities8 (16%) Personal Activities6 (23%) Percent with Health Ins.8 (81%) Home Ownership4 (55%) Satisfied with Yrly Income7 (52%)

Downtown Ranking (Data) Avg. Quality of Life7 (2.10) Avg. Happiness with: Built Capital8 (2.29) Natural Capital7 (2.34) Human Capital5 (2.13) Social Capital8 (2.38) Avg. Time Spent doing: Employment7 (26%) Volunteer Activities7 (7%) Household Chores4 (18%) Family Activities6 (18%) Personal Activities2 (33%) Percent with Health Ins.5 (93%) Home Ownership7 (15%) Satisfied with Yrly Income5 (64%)

Collegetown Ranking (Data) Avg. Quality of Life3 (1.88) Avg. Happiness with: Built Capital5 (2.07) Natural Capital6 (2.31) Human Capital7 (2.22) Social Capital7 (2.33) Avg. Time Spent doing: Employment5 (28%) Volunteer Activities8 (6%) Household Chores8 (14%) Family Activities3 (19%) Personal Activities1 (33%) Percent with Health Ins.7 (85%) Home Ownership6 (17%) Satisfied w/ Yrly Income8 (51%)

Northeast Ranking (Data) Avg. Quality of Life5 (1.95) Avg. Happiness with: Built Capital3 (1.92) Natural Capital5 (2.21) Human Capital3 (2.08) Social Capital6 (2.27) Avg. Time Spent doing: Employment6 (27%) Volunteer Activities2 (11%) Household Chores2 (20%) Family Activities7 (17%) Personal Activities4 (27%) Percent with Health Ins.1 (100%) Home Ownership8 (7%) Satisfied with Yrly Income3 (68%)

The Hill Ranking (Data) Avg. Quality of Life1 (1.50) Avg. Happiness with: Built Capital2 (1.88) Natural Capital1 (1.78) Human Capital1 (1.96) Social Capital1 (2.01) Avg. Time Spent doing: Employment8 (24%) Volunteer Activities4 (8%) Household Chores7 (14%) Family Activities1 (26%) Personal Activities3 (29%) Percent with Health Ins.2 (98%) Home Ownership2 (73%) Satisfied w/ Yrly Income1 (77%)

Pine Street Ranking (Data) Avg. Quality of Life4 (1.89) Avg. Happiness with: Built Capital6 (2.08) Natural Capital3 (1.98) Human Capital8 (2.22) Social Capital3 (2.14) Avg. Time Spent doing: Employment3 (33%) Volunteer Activities6 (7%) Household Chores5 (17%) Family Activities5 (18%) Personal Activities5 (24%) Percent with Health Ins.6 (90%) Home Ownership5 (51%) Satisfied with Yrly Income6 (63%)

South End Ranking (Data) Avg. Quality of Life2 (1.85) Avg. Happiness with: Built Capital1 (1.82) Natural Capital2 (1.92) Human Capital6 (2.22) Social Capital5 (2.26) Avg. Time Spent doing: Employment1 (37%) Volunteer Activities1 (13%) Household Chores6 (15%) Family Activities4 (19%) Personal Activities7 (21%) Percent with Health Ins.3 (95%) Home Ownership3 (61%) Satisfied with Yrly Income4 (67%)

Burlington v. EcoVillages

Thanks to: Burlington Legacy Project ( Legacy Project ( –In particular the Community Indicators committee, Betsy Rosenbluth, and Sandra O’Flaherty. Community and Economic Development Office ( and Economic Development Office ( –In particular Margaret Bozik and Beth Ruzansky. UVM and Gund FacultyUVM and Gund Faculty –In particular, Bob Costanza, Josh Farley, Lynne Bond, Matthew Wilson, Gary Flo, and Roel Boumans. Photo: Anton Voinov

Evolving analysis and results posted at: Photo: Anton Voinov