Wellbeing and Sustainability Measure for London

Stage: Policy published

Have your say on the draft Wellbeing and Sustainability Measure for London.

Closed

1021 Londoners have responded | 13/06/2022 - 10/07/2022

People strolling in a park with a pram and a dog

London’s first Wellbeing and Sustainability Measure now published

Updated: 31 October 2023

The first-ever Wellbeing and Sustainability Measure for London launched on 12 October 2023. Between June and July 2022 over a thousand of you got involved and helped shape the measure by taking part in our survey and discussion. 

See the new measure in detail 

London’s success as a place to live and work has mostly been measured in terms of its material wealth. This measure defines success from a different angle, including employment, education, health, environment, and our communities.  

Your feedback, alongside the views from stakeholders and others, was shared and discussed in October 2022 with an independent advisory group made up of stakeholders from councils, academics and third sector organisations.  

Your feedback made a difference 

  • On the whole, you supported the content of the draft framework and told us it broadly covered the key aspects of life in London.  
  • One of the biggest findings from talking to Londoners was just how aware you are about what’s going well and what needs improving in London. Many of you noted inequality, discrimination and prejudice as limiting factors to wellbeing, which we’ve reflected in our data.   
  • Many of your comments were around the wording and definitions of each measure’s indicator. As a result of your feedback, the team amended some of the wording. For example: ‘A decent income’ instead of ‘Relative poverty after housing costs’. 
  • You also broadly agreed that the distinction between ‘core’ and ‘strengthening’ measures made sense. However, the term ‘strengthening’ did not necessarily resonate, and you suggested other terms such as ‘supporting’. The published measure uses ‘core’ and ‘supporting’.  
  • A few of you commented on what ‘outdoor spaces to relax’ meant. You felt this should be pulled out and separated into individual measures, specifically air quality. As a result, the measure has a separate focus on air quality, green and blue spaces, and noise pollution. 
Thank you to everyone who took part – it’s so important we listen to people living and working in London.

We know that economic growth is important, but it doesn’t capture everything that makes up a good quality of life in our city.

The pandemic was such an unprecedented time which has made us all think about what matters most in life – from our health, to our social connections, opportunities for growth, and access to nature.

Here at the GLA we’re taking this on board to better understand the things that matter to Londoners to improve wellbeing across our city.
Yamini Cinamon Nair – GLA’s City Intelligence team

Watch the video about how the measure was developed

Read the video's full transcript

What’s happening next

The GLA’s City Intelligence team intends to update the measure annually. You will be able to see any updates on the London Datastore. In the meantime, visit the London Wellbeing website to explore the framework, watch our explanatory videos, read the summary report and our user guide. 

We will keep you posted on future opportunities to get involved.