Community, How We Live
Public affluence – represented by parks, museums, and libraries – improves people’s lives while decreasing consumption.

Culpepper Gardens is run and maintained by people who live near it. By design it is "a place without hierarchy, where everyone’s skills are valid, where all members are involved in making decisions, and no one feels threatened". Image via Culpeper Community Garden

"How can we improve people’s lives without increasing consumption? ... Among many other things, you can pursue quality by making the economy more inclusive, by improving democratic participation and active citizenship. You can take the rewards of growth as extra leisure time rather than extra consumption. You can aim for life-long learning, access to arts and culture and sport. And you can focus on public rather than private affluence.

"Private affluence is individuals gaining things for themselves – possessions, nice homes and experiences. Public affluence is money spent lavishly on things that are shared." -

Article: What is Public Affluence, and Why Does it Matter?