Measuring the Livability

Every year, I come back to Sri Lanka for 5-6 weeks to meet my family during the new year season. Every time when I am back in Sri Lanka, I think what has been changed compared to the previous year?, which aspects have been improved? and do such improvements affect the livability of Sri Lanka?.

When it comes to the livability, I am concerned and believe on three things which are absolutely important. They are,

• Do people respect other people?
• Do people respect the law of the country?
• Do people respect money?

But, how do I measure them? I just observe three simple things when I commute via public transportation.

• Do motorist stop when pedestrians wait beside crosswalks?
• Do motorist and pedestrians oblige to traffic lights and signs?
• Do bus conductors give back the right amount of change back to commuters?

If I get “Yes” for at least one question, I would say "Yes, the livability is improving".

Now some of you might think these observations are minor crimes with little impact. The rationale for choosing these observations was the Broken Window Theory. I am a big believer of it. This theory explains how minimizing minor crimes of a society creates a better atmosphere of order and lawfulness, thereby preventing more serious crimes from happening.