The slide features the presentation title "Capabilities and Beyond: Operationalizing Eudaimonic Well-Being in Public Space," which explores the practical implementation of eudaimonic well-being concepts in public environments. It lists the authors' names, their affiliation with Birzeit University, and the presentation date in the subtitle.

Capabilities and Beyond: Operationalizing Eudaimonic Well-Being in Public Space

Authors: [Your Names] Birzeit University [Presentation Date]

Source: Birzeit University

Urban environments shape well-being via factors like population density and infrastructure, while public spaces support mental health through relaxation and social interactions. Inclusive designs build community cohesion, though global issues such as overcrowding and pollution obstruct equitable access to these benefits.

Urban Well-Being Context

• Urban environments influence well-being through density and infrastructure design.
• Public spaces promote mental health by enabling relaxation and social interaction.
• Inclusive urban designs foster community thriving and social cohesion.
• Global challenges like overcrowding and pollution hinder equitable well-being access.

Current models for assessing well-being in urban settings overlook deeper eudaimonic fulfillment beyond mere hedonic pleasures and fail to address long-term aspects of public space interactions. They also perpetuate cultural biases in evaluations for diverse populations while facing significant measurement challenges in complex environments.

Limitations of Current Models

• Ignores deeper fulfillment beyond hedonic pleasures in urban settings
• Perpetuates cultural biases in well-being assessments for diverse populations
• Encounters measurement challenges in complex urban environments
• Overlooks long-term eudaimonic aspects of public space interactions

Hedonic well-being centers on maximizing pleasure and positive emotions through sensory enjoyment and pain avoidance, as seen in recreational public spaces like amusement parks that enhance short-term mood but may neglect deeper fulfillment. In contrast, eudaimonic well-being focuses on meaning, personal growth, and human potential via virtue and self-realization, exemplified by reflective spaces like community gardens that foster long-term societal flourishing through capabilities such as affiliation and imagination.

Hedonic vs Eudaimonic

Source: Birzeit University Presentation

The timeline on historical development of eudaimonic well-being begins in the 4th century BCE with Aristotle's concept of eudaimonia as human flourishing through virtuous and rational activity, as outlined in his Nicomachean Ethics. It progresses through modern milestones, including Ryff's 1989 six-dimensional psychological well-being model, Keyes' 2002 framework integrating emotional and psychological aspects of flourishing, and the 21st-century integration of eudaimonia into positive psychology, prioritizing meaning and self-realization over mere pleasure.

Historical Development

4th century BCE: Aristotle's Eudaimonia Concept Introduces eudaimonia as flourishing through virtuous activity and rational potential in Nicomachean Ethics. 1989: Ryff's Psychological Well-Being Proposes six dimensions including autonomy, environmental mastery, and purpose in life for eudaimonic assessment. 2002: Keyes' Flourishing Model Develops framework combining emotional and psychological well-being to measure eudaimonic flourishing. 21st century: Positive Psychology Integration Eudaimonic well-being gains traction in modern psychology, emphasizing meaning and self-realization over pleasure.

The slide on Ethical Foundations traces its roots to Aristotelian philosophy, emphasizing eudaimonia as the highest human good achieved through virtuous living and the realization of innate potentials in harmonious communities. It highlights moral imperatives for designers to prioritize collective well-being in public spaces and urban planning, favoring eudaimonic ethics that focus on human capabilities over mere utility.

Ethical Foundations

• Aristotelian roots: Eudaimonia as the highest human good through virtuous living.
• Human flourishing: Realizing innate potentials in harmonious community environments.
• Moral imperatives: Ethical obligations to design public spaces for collective well-being.
• Eudaimonic ethics in design: Prioritizing capabilities over mere utility in urban planning.

This section header slide, titled "Capabilities and Beyond: Operationalizing Eudaimonic Well-Being in Public Space," introduces Section 7 on "Dominant Ethical Paradigms." It explores the primary frameworks in moral philosophy and their influence on shaping well-being within urban environments.

Capabilities and Beyond: Operationalizing Eudaimonic Well-Being in Public Space

7

Dominant Ethical Paradigms

Exploring primary frameworks in moral philosophy and their role in shaping well-being in urban contexts.

Source: Birzeit University

Virtue ethics experienced a revival in 20th-century philosophy due to dissatisfaction with prevailing ethical frameworks, highlighted by key figures like G.E.M. Anscombe's 1958 critique of modern moral philosophy and Alasdair MacIntyre's 1981 book After Virtue, which emphasized narrative unity in character development. This resurgence has been applied to contemporary urban ethics to foster virtuous communities.

Virtue Ethics Revival

• Revived in 20th-century philosophy amid ethical dissatisfaction
• Key figure: Anscombe's 1958 critique of modern moral philosophy
• Key figure: MacIntyre's 'After Virtue' (1981) on narrative unity
• Applied to contemporary urban ethics for virtuous communities

Virtue ethics debates center on the tension between cultural relativism and universal virtues, while highlighting strengths like promoting character development over rigid rules and fostering holistic moral growth. Critiques include overlooking situational factors and risking the imposition of Western biases.

Virtue Ethics Debates

• Debate: Cultural relativism vs. universal virtues
• Critique: Overlooks situational and contextual factors
• Strength: Promotes character over rigid rules
• Critique: Risks imposing Western biases
• Strength: Fosters holistic moral development

Amartya Sen's Capability Approach prioritizes human freedoms and real opportunities—known as capabilities—for achieving valued functionings in public spaces, rather than focusing solely on resources. It promotes agency, justice, and development by expanding these freedoms to enhance individual achievements.

Capability Approach (Sen)

• Amartya Sen's framework emphasizes human freedoms over resources.
• Capabilities represent real opportunities for valued functionings.
• Functionings are actual achievements in public spaces.
• Promotes agency, justice, and development through expanded freedoms.

Capabilities refer to the real opportunities individuals have to achieve valuable functionings, such as access to public parks in urban settings that enable freedom for recreation without barriers. Functionings represent the actual achievements of well-being, like residents actively using parks for exercise or social interaction to gain tangible health and community benefits.

Capabilities vs Functionings

Human Development expands human capabilities beyond mere economic growth to promote global equity, measuring progress through health, education, and income to enhance freedoms and eudaimonic well-being. It guides policies for worldwide human flourishing by linking individual functionings to sustainable opportunities.

Human Development

• Expands capabilities beyond economic growth for global equity
• Measures health, education, and income to enhance freedoms
• Promotes eudaimonic well-being through multidimensional progress
• Guides policies to foster human flourishing worldwide
• Links functionings to opportunities for sustainable development

Source: UNDP Human Development Index (hdr.undp.org)

The slide titled "Environmental Affordances" features an image illustrating how outdoor spaces support human activities. It highlights key elements like parks with benches for rest, paths for safe walking, trees for shade and beauty, and playgrounds for physical play.

Environmental Affordances

!Image

• Parks provide benches for resting and relaxation
• Paths enable safe walking and exploration
• Trees offer shade and natural beauty
• Playgrounds support physical activity and play

Source: Birzeit University Presentation

Social affordances in interactive public spaces facilitate community engagement and promote inclusivity for diverse social groups and interactions. They enhance relational well-being through meaningful connections while supporting social bonding and collective identity formation.

Social Affordances

• Facilitates community engagement in interactive public spaces
• Promotes inclusivity for diverse social groups and interactions
• Enhances relational well-being through meaningful connections
• Supports social bonding and collective identity formation

Affordances in urban environments enable the realization of human capabilities, with urban design shaping these affordances to promote eudaimonic flourishing and well-being through intentional spaces. An integration model bridges abstract capabilities with tangible environmental opportunities, operationalizing them into actionable elements.

Linking Capabilities & Affordances

• Affordances enable realization of capabilities in urban environments.
• Urban design shapes affordances to foster eudaimonic flourishing.
• Integration model bridges capabilities with environmental opportunities.
• Affordances operationalize abstract capabilities into tangible actions.
• This linkage promotes well-being through intentional space design.

Sen's first capability focuses on living to a normal lifespan by avoiding premature death from preventable causes. In urban contexts, this translates to designing secure public spaces that promote safety, human flourishing, and eudaimonic well-being in cities.

Capability 1 – Life

• Sen's first capability: Live to normal lifespan
• Avoids premature death from avoidable causes
• Urban implication: Enhances safety in public spaces
• Designs secure environments for human flourishing
• Supports eudaimonic well-being in cities

This slide on Capability 2 – Bodily Health highlights urban features that support physical well-being, including access to nutritious food in public markets, affordable shelter integrated with green areas, and accessible parks for activity and rest. It also emphasizes clean air initiatives to reduce pollution and community gardens that promote nourishment and overall health.

Capability 2 – Bodily Health

• Access to nutritious food sources in public markets
• Affordable shelter integrated with urban green areas
• Accessible parks promoting physical activity and rest
• Clean air initiatives reducing urban pollution exposure
• Community gardens supporting nourishment and well-being

Source: Nourishment and shelter through urban public spaces

Capability 3 focuses on bodily integrity by ensuring freedom of movement without physical barriers and providing security from assault and violence in public areas. It emphasizes designing inclusive spaces that promote personal safety and autonomy while facilitating equitable access to mobility for all users.

Capability 3 – Bodily Integrity

• Ensure freedom of movement without physical barriers.
• Provide security from assault and violence in public areas.
• Design inclusive spaces promoting personal safety and autonomy.
• Facilitate equitable access to mobility for all users.

Source: Nussbaum's Capabilities Approach

This slide outlines Capability 4, focusing on senses, imagination, and thought through initiatives like enhancing education access to foster critical thinking and providing public libraries for equitable knowledge sharing. It also promotes installing public art to stimulate creativity and hosting cultural events to broaden intellectual horizons.

Capability 4 – Senses, Imagination, Thought

• Enhance education access to foster imagination and critical thought
• Provide public libraries for equitable information and knowledge sharing
• Install art in public spaces to stimulate sensory and creative engagement
• Promote cultural events to expand imaginative and intellectual horizons

This slide outlines Capability 5 – Emotions, highlighting how it enables secure attachments to people and urban spaces while supporting grieving without humiliation or fear. It also fosters emotional security via inclusive designs, promotes positive emotions like longing, gratitude, and justified anger, and connects urban environments to eudaimonic well-being.

Capability 5 – Emotions

• Enables secure attachments to people and urban spaces
• Supports grieving without humiliation or fear
• Fosters emotional security through inclusive designs
• Promotes longing, gratitude, and justified anger
• Links urban environments to eudaimonic well-being