Exploring Biophilic Cities As Flourishing Cities

48 PIONEER INTERVIEW 49 interest in psychology and sociology in tion mental health. I brought these ideas terms of social indicators. Scholars were together by writing measurement rules interested in emotional well-being: hap- and introduced the concept in 1999. Exploring piness, enjoyment, and pleasure. There’s always been an interest in that form of I chose the term flourishing because the Biophilic Cities happiness and well-being. In fact, in my word mental health is a rather confusing opinion, perhaps way too much. term to many people. It’s also used some- times interchangeably in two ways: men- as Flourishing Cities During my Ph.D., I worked with Carol tal illness or absence of mental illness. I Ritz and introduced this notion of social wanted to be very clear to the world that well-being that mirrored psychological I was talking not about the absence of An Interview with Corey Keyes and Tim Beatley well-being. Only the shift was looking at mental illness, but the presence of good getting away from emotions and emo- mental health. Since 1999, we’ve done a tional well-being and starting to focus on lot of research at the genetic level and at Edited by Carla Jones how people are functioning in the world. the societal level. We now know that we Psychological well-being to me repre- can prevent mental illness by promoting sented the pronouns I and me while what the concept of flourishing in the popula- was missing was the pronouns we and us. tion and there are more and more studies The Biophilic Cities Project had the How did the idea evolve? What makes being released supporting this. pleasure of interviewing Dr. Corey Keyes, flourishing different as a way of framing Once we mapped these relationships Winship Distinguished Research Profes- mental health? out it occurred to me – I had created a Per the World Health Organization, de- sor of Sociology at Emory University. Dr. diagnosis for positive mental health that pression is already the second-leading Keyes coined the term “flourishing” to Corey Keyes: sort of mirrored the psychiatric diagnosis. cause of burden to societies. By 2030, if describe the presence of positive mental I would define flourishing as a state in Only I was interested in moving beyond we don’t change what we’re doing, it will health characteristics rather than solely which you feel good about a life in which the psychiatric treatment model as the be the leading problem. My efforts have the absence of mental illness. Keyes has you are functioning well. It’s not just modus operandi for dealing with popula- been focused on bringing this concept of been conducting research on flourishing feeling good about your life: it’s about since the late 1990s and has found that feeling good about a life where you feel flourishing individuals have the lowest you’re functioning well with purpose, con- risk of cardiovascular disease, lowest tribution, belonging, and acceptance. You number of chronic physical diseases, and need curiosity, concern, and connection to lower health care utilization, among other achieve these things. health benefits (Keyes, 2007). We inter- viewed Dr. Keyes to explore the relation- In 1998 and 1999, I was finishing up some ship between flourishing, nature, and work on well-being, specifically looking at urban life. a concept called social well-being, which is near and dear to my heart. As I came to Tim Beatley: see these different components of subjec- Here at the Biophilic Cities Project, we are tive well-being, it occurred to me that we trying to better understand the benefits had a long list of signs and symptoms of of nature-ful cities. The concept of “flour- positive mental health. ishing” seems like an important one for us to better understand. What is flourishing? Additionally, there is this long-standing Dr. Corey Keyes is the Winship Distinguished Research Professor of Sociology at Emory University who researches positive mental health, known as flourishing 50 PIONEER INTERVIEW 51 Corey Keyes: ested in life, having purpose, contribution I worked with the Healthy Parks, Healthy and connection. It resonates with people People initiative by the National Park once they understand that’s what goes Service in its infancy and the Green Vets into flourishing. project. I’m extremely interested and, personally, find my greatest peace and The pushback I receive is that critics flourishing when I’m in nature. I think tend to think that flourishing signifies that is one of the key elements of our life that we’re expecting too much of people. and somehow most urban parks and zoos When you look at my diagnosis criteria aren’t doing it in the modern city. I had to of needing a minimum of 7 out of the 14 buy a house in the mountains to escape symptoms, no one is going to prescribe and be in nature. I live two blocks from which ones you must have. In fact, re- the largest park in Atlanta, but that isn’t search shows that you don’t need to have the same as in my cabin. I’m convinced a specific combination. it’s not just the things that are in nature, but it’s something about how those things My response is that flourishing doesn’t re- are arranged that get us interested in and quire much more than what most people connecting with other forms of life. say they want out of life. Social well-being is all about connection. Tim Beatley: Flourishing is, first and foremost, about Are there particular things going on in flourishing into mainstream public health when we feel at home and connected to the world right now that you think are and health care systems. This is based on Corey Keyes: the world around us. This is when we feel undermining flourishing? Are there par- the premise that if we were to engage in No, I’m not against the term. In fact, I want good and feeling connected to nature is ticular threats or things that you have promoting and protecting the things that the word to be reclaimed in the way that one of the greatest ways of flourishing. identified in your work that we ought to promote flourishing, we could prevent the the Greeks thought about it because their be particularly worried about in the mod- exacerbation of mental illness. But it goes notion was that we should create a socie- Tim Beatley: ern world? beyond that, I’ve shown in my studies ty of people who essentially are philoso- What sorts of reactions do you get when depression is barely the tip of the iceberg. phers. I think that was the point of philos- you use the word flourishing? Corey Keyes: There are lots of people who aren’t men- ophy and that was the point of happiness. One threat is that we’ve totally distorted tally ill or depressed but are not flour- It was speaking much more deeply about Corey Keyes: and shifted the meaning of time. Time has ishing. This population presents a bigger life and not just about an individual and It’s resonating a lot with people in part become a currency that stresses us out. problem to society than depression alone. his or her feelings, but your community because the other work that I’ve done has One thing I like about nature is how it I’m now focused on interventions that can and equality. I think that’s what happiness shown that it’s not enough just to feel resets your sense of time. Research shows be used at various levels and sectors. is about. It wasn’t just a feeling, but an happy. It’s not enough just to have high that when you get people to think of invitation to think seriously about life. levels of emotional well-being. It needs time as money than they are less likely to Tim Beatley: to be a derivative of connection, purpose, volunteer or to help each other. You’ve discussed the limitations of the Tim Beatley: growth, and acceptance. Another threat is social inequality. We’re word “happiness,” yet you use the term in What do you think about the potential of not going to get anywhere with flourish- the courses you teach and in the way you designing and planning communities with There is this kind of happiness exhaustion ing if we don’t deal with that. People who talk about flourishing. It sounds like you’re an emphasis on the natural world to help out there. There is this sense that it’s not are impoverished can benefit from nature, not against the term itself, but you’re de- people flourish by the measures you’ve possible to feel good all the time, to feel but that alone will not do it. We need fining it in a deeper way. Is that a correct laid out? constant happiness or pleasure. That’s not more fairness and equality. interpretation? even the point of life. It’s remaining inter- 52 PIONEER INTERVIEW 53 About Dr. Corey Keyes: Prevent, the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA), Dr. Corey Keyes is a Winship Distinguished and the American Association of Colleges Research Professor of Sociology at Emory and Universities. University in Atlanta, Georgia. His areas of expertise include social psychology and mental health. The research centers he is affiliated with illuminate the “two contin- ua” model of health and illness, showing how the absence of mental illness does not translate into the presence of mental health, and revealing that the causes of true health are often distinct processes from those now understood as the risks for mental illness.

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