Pathways to Happiness for Satisfaction with Access to Arts & Culture includes policies a city, town or rural area can undertake to increase people's wellbeing and happiness. It is part of a series of tools available at http://www.happycounts.org/happy-community-toolkit.html

1. Pathways to Happiness
for arts & culture

2. Pathways to Happiness are ways
to strengthen our satisfaction with
our access to arts & culture

3. Communities
scores for
satisfaction
with lifelong
learning, arts
& culture are
in the range
of indifferent
100= happiest

4. Our scores for
dipped in 2014 and
then increased but
reflect overall
indifference and
dissatisfaction for
access to artistic &
cultural activities
a score below 40 means we are dissatisfied, below 60 means we feel indifferently

5. Policies
Courageous

6. Heritage Protection
statue, monument, memorial, artwork, historic display, street, bridge, building & other artifacts and structures
Protection & preservation of history-related features
Community or Individual driven identification of history-related
features
forest, park, garden, yard, field, prairie, desert, stream, river, lake, shoreline, estuary, or other natural features
individuals or groups are provided the skills and knowledge for identifying history–related features
individuals and community members work with agencies (government, museum, academics…) to register, preserve and restore
language, songs, dance, rituals, traditions, food, knowledge, stories, crafts, skills, and other intangible assets

7. Resources for Heritage Protection
Reflective essay on community based heritage preservation:
https://www.environment.gov.au/system/files/pages/f4d5ba7d-e4eb-4ced-9c0e-104471634fbb/files/essay-
expectations-johnston.pdf
Example Heritage Protection legislation: http://www.tn.gov/sos/acts/108/pub/pc0075.pdf
Post on community engagement in cultural heritage:
https://www.planning.org/research/arts/briefingpapers/values.htm
Examples of cultural heritage projects: http://whc.unesco.org/en/casestudies/

8. Arts and culture policy
developed by community, artists, government agents and tourists
City, town or region arts and culture strategy & action plan
Cultural and artistic identification formed through public forums
investment in public arts, festivals and events

9. Resources for arts and culture policy
White paper on the importance of art and culture in cities: https://www.forum-
avignon.org/sites/default/files/editeur/ECCE_report.pdf
Example arts and culture policy: http://www.cityofsydney.nsw.gov.au/vision/towards-
2030/communities-and-culture/culture-and-creativity

10. Foster Educational Institutions in Rural &
Economically Depressed Areas
increase opportunities for education
Extending or open colleges & universities in rural & depressed areas
expand diversity in rural areas when students stay and live in an area
increase access to professionals in rural & economically depressed areas

11. Resources for Fostering Educational Institutions in
Rural & Economically Depressed Areas
White paper on the role of colleges in distressed rural areas:
http://www.mdcinc.org/sites/default/files/resources/Expanding%20Economic%20and%20Educational
%20Opportunity%20in%20Distressed%20Rural%20Areas.pdf
Example of expansion of higher education into rural areas:
https://www.insidehighered.com/news/2016/05/13/address-physician-shortage-medical-schools-expand-rural-
areas
Student lead study on impact of colleges on rural areas:
https://www.eou.edu/rural/files/2015/03/Evaluating-the-Impact-of-Rural-Universities-on-Local-Communities.pdf

12. What’s it
going to
take?

13. public work as part of education
local economy fostering artisans, crafts people and artists
cultural tourism
lively streets friendly to busters and other street art
Connecting arts and culture to livelihood

14. Fearless and committed leaders
garner public support
engaging community
educate and involve others who in turn do the same

15. We envision a world where all beings can thrive.
Can you envision it too?
happycounts.org