INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE ON SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT PRACTICE AT COLUMBIA UNIVERSITY, NEW YORK 17-18 SEPTEMBER 2014

INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE ON SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT PRACTICE (ICSDP)

  17 - 18 SEPTEMBER 2014

COLUMBIA UNIVERSITY NEW YORK

Theme : Sustainable Cities: Inclusive, Resilient and Connected

ABSTRACT

PROMOTING SUSTAINABLE AND HAPPY COMMUNITIES THROUGH THE MALAYSIAN URBAN RURAL NATIONAL INDICATORS NETWORK (MURNInets)

Dr. Dahlia Rosly

Director General

Federal Department of Town and Country Planning

Ministry of Urban Wellbeing, Housing and Local Government

dahlia@townplan.gov.my

Dr. Azmizam Abdul Rashid

Principal Assistant Director

Federal Department of Town and Country Planning

Ministry of Urban Wellbeing, Housing and Local Government

azmizam@townplan.gov.my

The Federal Department of Town and Country Planning (FDTCP), Peninsular Malaysia is a focal point for the implementation of Malaysian Urban Rural National Indicators Network for Sustainable Development (MURNInets) which now incorporates happiness indicators into its framework. This is in line with the Ministry of  Urban Wellbeing, Housing and Local Government’s commitment in promoting sustainable communities. FDTCP has introduced Malaysian Urban Indicators Network (MURNInet) in 1998 as an innovative system to determine the sustainability level of urban areas by using a set of urban indicators. MURNInet was a program to assess the performance and level of sustainability of Malaysian towns. In line with this, MURNInet is rebranded and is now known as MURNInets. The new features of MURNInets include 36 sets of compulsory indicators grouped under 21 themes under 6 dimensions. Most of the targets and standards for the selected indicators were adjusted according to hierarchy of local authorities. The Analytical Hierarchical Process (AHP) technique was introduced and applied to derive at the sustainability index by giving weights to each dimension and themes and rating to each indicators. The online portal has also been reviewed and redeveloped thoroughly and improvements are made to enable users i.e the Local Authorities, State Authorities, Data Providing Agencies and the public to access MURNInets to view data or even to obtain information relating to sustainable urban indicators. MURNInets shall give a better reflection on the progress towards sustainable development in Malaysia. MURNInets can be monitored using the developed indices in a wider sense in terms of urban development and work as a guideline for urban managers working towards attaining and maintaining sustainable cities. MURNInets has been recognised as a very important tool to measure sustainability of towns and cities in the country by the National Physical Planning Council  (NPPC) which is the highest authority on physical planning in Malaysia which is chaired by the Prime Minister of Malaysia.

Keywords : sustainability, happiness, indicators

Please find more detail on ICSD 2014

Please find more detail about ICSD 2014

How to Design Our Neighborhoods for Happiness by Jay Walljasper — YES! Magazine

How to Design Our Neighborhoods for Happiness by Jay Walljasper — YES! Magazine

(Still) Searching for the sustainable city formula | Kaid Benfield's Blog | Switchboard, from NRDC

(Still) Searching for the sustainable city formula | Kaid Benfield's Blog | Switchboard, from NRDC

THE SCIENCE OF HAPPINESS : WHAT DATA & BIOLOGY REVEAL ABOUT OUR MOOD?

Graphic by WebpageFX

In terms of brain chemistry, the neurotransmitters dopamine and serotonin play a large part in how happy, affectionate and positive you feel. Eating foods like fish, bananas and poultry help boost your dopamine levels, while foods like turkey have been suggested to boost serotonin levels. Therefore, eating foods like these can help you improve and maintain happy feelings and a positive outlook.

 

How to Avoid Negative Feelings? One of the best ways to keep a bad mood at bay is to get your 8 hours of sleep each night. Studies show that sleep-deprived people have a harder time remembering positive ideas and, instead, focus on the negative. By keeping your mind and body well-rested you’ll help the positive ideas flow and keep the negative ideas away. One final tip for staying happy: don’t isolate yourself. We get so caught up in the business of our day-to-day schedules and routines that we often forget to make time for our neighbors and community members. Yet, research shows that two huge factors that contribute to happiness are a sense of community and frequent celebrations with that community. Don’t be afraid to reach out to your neighbors and peers. Not only will communal bonds make you feel happier, they’ll make your neighbors feel happier too!

 

How happy would you say you are? If you feel less than stellar on a day-to-day basis I have good news for you! There are a ton of things that influence your levels of happiness and positivity. In The Science of Happiness infographic from WebpageFX, you can learn about all of them. You might not be able to directly control all of these factors, but by being aware of them all you can engage in activities that will boost your happiness meter.

 

What You Can Do To Be Happier? Did you know that spending 20 minutes outside in good weather each day can improve your memory, broaden your thinking and help maintain a positive mood? It can! Participating in activities like exercising is another way that you can boost your happiness. Walking for just 20 minutes releases endorphins and proteins that make your brain more active, keeping you happier. Why not take a 20 minute walk on your lunch break? It’ll keep you feeling energized and positive throughout the day.