Uncovering the Science of Joy in the Sunshine City

By: Julianna Kinser

Happiness Project Intern & Eckerd College student

The St. Petersburg Area Chamber of Commerce is collaborating with the St. Pete Center at Eckerd College to initiate a survey that delves into the well-being of St. Petersburg residents and workers. Can the Rays' winning streak positively impact your mood? How does a rainy day affect your well-being? And what about the impact of traffic and bridge construction? We are excited about uncovering valuable insights such as these. The St. Pete Catalyst wrote an article recently highlighting the intiative. Already, we have collected initial responses from over 200 individuals and plan to begin sending out the first round of survey questions in January.

A parallel study, conducted by the RAND Corporation in partnership with the City of Santa Monica, CA, unveiled notable differences in strengths and needs among various zip codes. Interestingly, almost one-third of residents reported experiencing significant stress and anxiety in their daily lives. The study also proposed several recommendations for the city, such as optimizing city events for outdoor spaces and implementing programs to enhance financial literacy within the community. We are eager to discover similar insights about our own community members and explore ways in which we can effectively advocate for St. Petersburg!