Quality of Life

Priced Out and Fed Up: Cost of Living and Government Dysfunction are Voters’ Top Issues

Written by: Christopher Collard

Each November, Utahns have a chance to shape government to fit their needs. Ideally, the voters’ voices serve as a compass to correct the course of government and shape society. However, information gaps can preclude an ideal outcome. First, politicians and policymakers need to understand Utahns’ priorities. Second, voters need relevant background on the issues that matter most. The Utah Foundation’s Utah Priority Project seeks to fill those information gaps and provide that background. Priced … Continued

Healthy Communities: Enhancing Open Space

Written by: John Salevurakis

Utah’s natural resource endowments and its past cultivation of urban and suburban open spaces will likely continue to spur population growth in the future. As a result, additional stress will be placed upon existing endowments. Doing nothing in the coming years threatens to decrease the quality of life that Utahns – both newcomers and long-timers alike – have come to expect and value. This report provides an understanding of why open space is important, looks … Continued

The 2022 Utah Misery Index: A Glimpse into the Fiscal Measures of Happiness

Written by: Shawn Teigen

The Utah Foundation has written about happiness. In fact, the Utah Foundation’s Personal Quality of Life survey includes a question asking respondents if they “are happy.” While many Utahns report that they are content, the 2022 Quality of Life project shows that financial concerns are drawing down Utahns’ quality of life – from their perceptions of their communities to their own personal well-being. That takes us to misery. The 2022 Utah Misery Index: A Glimpse … Continued

Filling in the Blanks: How Utah Communities Can Deploy Infill Development to Advance Quality of Life

Written by: Peter Reichard

Filling in the Blanks: How Utah Communities Can Deploy Infill Development to Advance Quality of Life, addresses the development of vacant or underutilized land within existing communities. It examines trends, the potential benefits of additional infill, obstacles standing in the way, and policy options to support infill development.   KEY FINDINGS OF THIS STUDY Multiple factors are now converging in Utah to make infill more imperative, including rapid growth, rising housing costs and changing residential … Continued

The 2022 Utah Personal Quality of Life Index: Is the Well-Being of Utahns in Decline?

Written by: Shawn Teigen

The 2022 Utah Personal Quality of Life Index: Is the Well-Being of Utahns in Decline? is the second report in the 2022 Utah Quality of Life project. This report focuses on personal quality of life – based on a survey where Utahns rate their well-being on a series of seven factors. In this report, the Utah Foundation: compares 2022 data with the 2018 iteration of the survey; analyzes responses by population group; compares Utahns’ personal … Continued

The 2022 Utah Community Quality of Life Index: Is a Booming Economy Making Life Better?

Written by: Shawn Teigen

The 2022 Utah Community Quality of Life Index: Is a Booming Economy Making Life Better? focuses on community quality of life – based on a survey where Utahns rate their communities on a series of 20 factors. In this report, the Utah Foundation discusses the results of the 2022 survey, compares 2022 data with previous years, analyzes responses by population group, and suggests targeted ways that policymakers might improve quality of life in Utah communities. … Continued

The Comforts of Home: Family Life in Utah

Written by: Christopher Collard

UTAH SOCIAL CAPITAL SERIES Check out the other sections of the Utah Social Capital Series. Links will become live as reports are published Civic Engagement Social Trust Community Life Family Health Social Cohesion Focus on Future Generations Social Mobility Overall Index Family is the basic building-block of society and a core component of social capital. To the extent that families are stable, the larger civilization benefits from greater social stability. To the extent that family … Continued

The Art of Association: Community Life in Utah

Written by: Christopher Collard

UTAH SOCIAL CAPITAL SERIES Check out the other sections of the Utah Social Capital Series. Links will become live as reports are published Civic Engagement Social Trust Community Life Family Health Social Cohesion Focus on Future Generations Social Mobility Overall Index Alexis de Tocqueville observed Americans’ “art” of association when commenting on the types of associations he encountered – commercial, industrial, religious, general, specific, large and small. This installment in the Utah Social Capital Series … Continued

The Way Home: The Shift to Telework and its Air Quality Ramifications

Written by: Shawn Teigen

Shortly after the start of the 2020 pandemic, Utah Foundation released a report, Work Away from Work: The Challenges and Promise of Teleworking, on remote work. It provided an overview of the potential benefits and pitfalls of the massive experiment in teleworking prompted by the pandemic. This report – Part II – focuses on how remote work relates to air quality in Utah, provides new insights gained during 2020, and looks toward the future interplay … Continued