Preparation of a community resource inventory and the identification of local indicators are important in order to measure progress toward sustainability. Here are examples of what communities are doing.
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Asset-Based Community Development Institute (ABCD), Institute for Policy Research, Northwestern University, 2040 Sheridan Road, Evanston, IL 60208-4100, Tel: 847.491.8711, Fax: 847.467.4140, Email: earlee@northwestern.edu, Website: http://www.nwu.edu/IPR/abcd.html. The ABCD Institute shares its findings on capacity-building community development through interactions with community builders and by producing practical resources and tools for community builders to identify, nurture and mobilize neighborhood assets.
City of Santa Monica, Sustainable City Program, 200 Santa Monica Pier, Santa Monica, CA 90401, Tel: 310.458.2227, Fax: 310.393.1279, Email: dean-kubani@ci.santa-monica.ca.us , Website: http://www.ci.santa-monica.ca.us/environment. This site contains detailed information about Santa Monica's sustainable programs and policies, sustainability indicators, and resources. Copies of the '94 Sustainable City Program document and the '96 Sustainable City Progress Report can be downloaded.
Colorado Community Index Project, The Colorado Trust, 1600 Sherman Street, Denver, CO 80203-1604, Tel: 303.837.1200; 888.847.9140, Fax: 303.839.9034, Website: http://www.coloradotrust.org. This project of the Colorado Trust's Colorado Healthy Communities Initiative summarizes trends within neighborhoods that affect quality of life.
Community Environmental Council, Gildea Resource Center, Sustainability Indicators Project, 930 Miramonte Drive, Santa Barbara, CA 93109, Tel: 805.963.0583, Fax: 805.962.9080, Email: grccom@rain.org, Website: http://www.communityenvironmentalcouncil.org. The Gildea Center is a nonprofit research, policy development and education organization pioneering new technologies in all aspects of recycling, waste water, sludge, composting, solar technology, and ecological gardening.
Community Health Status Indicators (CHSI), Health Resources and Services Adminsitration (HRSA), Tel: 1.888.ASK.HRSA, Website: http://www.communityhealth.hrsa.gov. This online project provides reports of health status indicators for every county in the U.S. for use in characterizing the overall health of a county and its citizens to support health planning. Information for understanding, interpreting and using the reports is available.
Community Indicators on the Web, Redefining Progress, One Kearny Street, San Francisco, CA, Tel: 415.781.1191, Fax: 415.781.1198, Email: info@rprogress.org , Website: http://www.rprogress.org/resources/cip/links/cips_web.html. This resource list, part of Redefining Progress' Community Indicators Project, provides links to indicator projects throughout the United States, Canada and other countries that have websites.
Compendium of Sustainable Development Indicator Initiatives and Publications, International Institute for Sustainable Development, 2619 2nd Avenue NW, Calgary, Alberta T2N 0H3, Tel: 403.270.2700, Fax: 403.270.2694, Website: http://iisd1.iisd.ca/measure/compendium.htm. The Compendium provides a comprehensive online information base of indicator initiatives being carried out at the international, national and provincial/territorial/state levels in the context of sustainable development. It is a collaborative effort of the International Institute for Sustainable Development, Environment Canada, the World Bank, and Redefining Progress.
Hart Environmental Data - Indicators of Sustainability now Sustainable Measures (see below)
Hawaii Community Services Council, Charting the Course to Hawaii's Future, 200 Vineyard Boulevard, #415, Honolulu, HI 96817, Tel: 808.521.3861, Fax: 808.539.3560 The Hawaii Community Services Council convenes and connects diverse people of all ages and organizations, facilitating processes through which combinations of interests and assets can work together to create and sustain strong communities throughout the islands.
International Council for Local Environmental Initiatives (ICLEI), City Hall, East Tower, 8th floor 100 Queen Street West, Toronto, ON M5H 2N2, Tel: 416.392.1462, Fax: 416.392.1478, Email: iclei@iclei.org , Website: http://www.iclei.org. ICLEI is the international environmental agency for local governments. It serves as a clearinghouse on sustainable development and environmental protection polices, programs and techniques, initiates joint projects or campaigns among groups of local governments, organizes training programs, and publishes reports and technical manuals on state of the art environmental management practices.
Jacksonville Community Council, Inc., 2434 Atlantic Boulevard #100, Jacksonville, FL 32207, Tel: 904.396.3052, Fax: 904.398.1469, Email: mail@jcci.org , Website: http://www.jcci.org. JCCI seeks to improve the quality of life in Northeast Florida by positive change resulting from the informed participation of citizens in community life, through open dialogue, impartial research, and consensus building. Its annual reports document trends in quality of life indicators and are used to inform strategic planning and to guide policy making in Jacksonville.
Missoula Measures, Missoula City-County Health Department, 301 W. Alder, Missoula, MT 59802, Tel: 406.523.2886, Email: goliver@co.missoula.mt.us , Website: http://www.co.missoula.mt.us/measures. Missoula Measures is an indicator project designed to assist efforts to maintain and build a healthy, sustainable community.
National Civic League (NCL), 1445 Market Street, Suite 300, Denver, CO 80202-1728, Tel: 303.571.4343, Fax: 303.571.4404, Email: ncl@ncl.org , Website: http://www.ncl.org. The NCL advocates a new civic agenda to create communities that work for everyone and promotes the principles of collaborative problem-solving and consensus-based decision making. Its Healthy Communities Program provides technical assistance, facilitation of the healthy communities process, and leadership training.
National Neighborhood Indicators Partnership (NNIP), c/o The Urban Institute, 2100 M Street, NW, Washington, DC 20037, Email: nnip@ui.urban.org , Website: http://www.urban.org/nnip. NNIP is a collaborative effort by the Urban Insititute and local partners to further the development and use of neighborhood-level information systems in local policymaking and community building. Its site contains online resource tools, case studies, and links to other sources.
Redefining Progress, 1904 Franklin Street, 6th Floor, Oakland, CA 94612, Tel: 510.444.3041, Fax: 510.444.3191, Email: info@rprogress.org, Website: http://www.rprogress.org. Redefining Progress is a public policy organization whose purpose is to stimulate broad public discourse on the type of future Americans desire and how best to achieve it. Its programs center on tax policy, indicators, and economic journalism.
Smart Communities Network, US Department of Energy (DOE), Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy, Denver Regional Support Office, 1617 Cole Boulevard, Golden, CO 80401, Tel: 303.275.4826; 800.357.7732, Fax: 303.275.4830, Email: sustainable.development@hq.doe.gov , Website: http://www.sustainable.doe.gov/. The Smart Communities Network helps communities design and implement innovative strategies that enhance the local economy as well as the local environment and quality of life. Its website contains a "tool kit" of sustainable information including manuals, workbooks, bibliographies, data bases, case studies, and model codes and ordinances.
Southern California Council on Environment and Development (SCCED), 626 Santa Monica Boulevard, Santa Monica, CA 90401, Tel: 310.455.1603, Fax: 310.455.3011, Email: scced@scced.org , Website: http://www.scced.org. SCCED works through facilitated task forces, forums, and conferences toward building consensus on programs and polices to protect the environment, strengthen the economy, and ensure equity for Southern California's 15 million residents.
Sustainable Community Roundtable, 2129 Bethel Street, NE, Olympia, WA 98506, Tel: 360.754.7842, Email: roundtable@olywa.net , Website: http://www.olywa.net/roundtable. The Roundtable facilitates a process of dialogue, vision, action, and celebration to help create sustainable community in South Puget Sound.
Sustainable Measures, P.O. Box 361, North Andover, MA 01845, Tel: 508.975.1988, Fax: 508.975.2241, Email: mhart@sustainablemeasures.com , Website: http://www.sustainablemeasures.com. Sustainable Measures develops indicators that measure progress toward a sustainable economy, society and environment.
Sustainable Seattle, 514 Minor Avenue, Seattle, WA 98109, Tel: 206.622.3522, Fax: 206.622.3611, Email: sustsea@halcyon.com, Website: http://www.scn.org/sustainable. Sustainable Seattle is a citizen group working to improve the region's long-term health and vitality.
U.S. Interagency Working Group on Sustainable Development Indicators. Sustainable Development in the United States: An Experimental Set of Indicators. (Washington, DC: 1998). This report examines the United States' progress along a path of sustainable development. It includes a framework for organizing indicators and an experimental set of 40 indicators that relate to various aspects of sustainability. This resource can be found online at: http://www.sdi.gov/reports.htm.
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Aberley, Doug, ed. Boundaries of Home-Mapping for Local Empowerment. (Gabriola Island: New Society Publishers, 1993). This book reviews the ways citizens have used mapping techniques to inform and organize. It includes examples from the UK, British Columbia, Chicago, Northern California, and the Pacific Northwest, as well as chapters on how to map a bioregion and access further mapping resources. To obtain this resource contact The CED Bookshop, CCE Publications, PO Box 1161, Port Alberni, B.C. V9Y 7MI, Canada; Tel: 888.255.6779; Fax: 250.723.1922.
Aspen Insitute Rural Economic Policy Program. Measuring Community Capacity Building: A Workbook-in-Progress for Rural Communities. (Queenstown, MD: The Aspen Institute, 1996). This book is written for leaders and citizens who want to improve the ability of individuals, organizations, businesses and government in their community to come together, learn, and implement a development agenda. To obtain this resource contact the Publications Office, The Aspen Institute, PO Box 222, Queenstown, MD 21658; Fax: 410.827.9174.
Bryan, Baker. The Sustainable Community Checklist. (Seattle: The Northwest Policy Center, University of Washington, November 1996).
The Colorado Trust, Redefining Progress, and the White House Interagency Working Group on Sustainable Development Indicators. The Colorado Forum on National Community Indicators. This document reports the proceedings of a conference held in November 1996 to discuss the state of national and community indicators. This resource can be found online at: http://www.martin.fl.us/GOVT/depts/gmd/sustain/ColoradoTrust.pdf.
Connor, Ross F., Ph.D, Sora Park Tanjasiri, Dr.P.H., Doug Easterling, Ph.D. Communities Tracking Their Quality of Life. (Denver, CO: The Colorado Trust, 1999). This report presents the rationale and approach of the Community Indicators Project (CIP), in which 15 communities were supported to develop locally relevant measures of health and quality of life, as well as summarizing some of the early results of the project. To obtain this resource contact The Colorado Trust, 1600 Sherman Street, Denver, CO 80203-1604; Tel: 303.837.1200, 888.847.9140; Fax: 303.839.9034.
Department of Urban Affairs and Planning. Check Your Success: a Guide to Developing Indicators for Community-Based Environmental Projects. (Blacksburg, VA: Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, 2001). This guidebook is designed to help communities understand the use of indicators of environmental, economic and social progress that are often the goals of community-based projects. This resource can be found online at: http://www.uap.vt.edu/checkyoursuccess.
Flora, Cornelia B. et al. Measuring Community Success and Sustainability: An Interactive Workbook. (Ames, IA: North Central Regional Center for Rural Development, Resource Conservation and Development Program and the Social Sciences Institute, USDA-NRCS, and Rural Community Assistance of the USDA Forest Service, 1999). This workbook is for community activists and development agents to use in helping communities learn how to measure the local or regional impacts of economic and community development processes that enhance rural community sustainability. To obtain this resource contact the North Central Regional Center for Rural Development, Department of Sociology, Iowa State University, 107 Curtis Hall, Ames, IA 50011-1050; Tel: 515.294.2853; Fax: 515.294.3180. This resource can be found online at: http://www.ncrcrd.iastate.edu.
Green Mountain Institute for Environmental Democracy. The Resource Guide to Indicators (Second Edition, August 1998). This compilation lists hundreds of documents that reflect/discuss the various aspects of planning, implementing, and using the results from indicator initiatives or projects. To obtain this resource contact GMIED, 26 State Street, Montpelier, VT 05602; Tel: 802.229.6070; Fax: 802.229.6076; Email: gmied@gmied.org. This resource can be found online at: http://www.gmied.org/PUBS/papers/inddocs/irguide.html.
Harker, Don and Elizabeth Ungar Natter. Where We Live: A Citizen's Guide to Conducting a Community Environmental Inventory. (Berea, KY & Washington, DC: Mountain Association for Community Economic Development and Island Press, 1994). This practical workbook helps citizens find information concerning their local environment and use this information in furthering environmental goals.
Hart, Maureen. Guide to Sustainable Community Indicators, Second Edition. (North Andover, MA: 1999). This is a guide for assessing the ecological/environmental and socio-economic quality of one's community. It describes the process of developing, evaluating and using indicators at the community level in a step-by-step approach and contains a set of sample indicators, as well as a list of other community sustainability projects, potential data sources, and references. To obtain this resource contact Sustainable Measures, P.O. Box 361, North Andover, MA 01845; Tel: 508.975.1988; Email: mhart@sustainablemeasures.com; Website: http://www.sustainablemeasures.com.
Hawai'i Community Services Council. Ke Ala Hoku Critical Indicators Report 1996: Charting the Course to Hawaii's Future. (Hawai'i Community Services Council, 1996). This report lists 58 critical indicators or measures of progress to improve life in Hawaii. To obtain this resource contact the Hawai'i Community Services Council, 680 Iwilei Road, Suite 665, Honolulu, HI 96817-5317, Tel: 808.529.0466; Fax: 828 529.0477.
Healthy Community Initiative of Greater Orlando. Legacy 2000. This comprehensive report to the Orlando community creates benchmarks in critical areas affecting the environment, economy, social institutions, and each individual's sense of well-being. It is intended to be a tool that can help the community keep track of its efforts and provide a measurement of commitment and progress. To obtain this resource contact the Healthy Community Initiative of Greater Orlando, 507 E. Michigan Street, P.O. Box 561130, Orlando, FL 32856; Tel: 407.649.6891; Fax: 407.426.8802; Email: hci@hciflorida.org; Website: http://www.hciflorida.org.
Hempel, Marilyn, ed. Sustainable Communities: Guide for Grassroots Activists. (Population Coalition). This special edition of the Population Coalition newsletter gives the reader insight into the sustainability movement--from philosophy to practicality. To obtain this resource contact the Population Coalition, 1476 Indian Hill Boulevard, Claremont, CA 91711; Tel: 909.625.5717.
Hren, Ben et al. Monitoring Sustainability in Your Community. (Gaithersburg, MD: Izaak Walton League of America). This handbook presents 12 indicators, compiled from efforts across the nation, used to assess a community's quality of life, consumption of natural resources, and the condition of local ecosystems. .
Jacksonville Community Council, Inc. Life in Jacksonville: Quality Indicators for Progress - Executive Summary. (Jacksonville, FL: Chamber of Commerce, November 1997). This report contains basic information about 72 measurable indicators, priorities, and targets. It notes positive trends while recognizing early warning signs so that problems can be addressed before they reach crisis proportions. In addition a Reference Document that contains complete information about each indicator, additional methodological information, and background information on the Jacksonville community is available, as is a Replication Kit, which contains a detailed how-to manual and additional materials. To obtain this resource contact the Jacksonville Community Council Inc., 2434 Atlantic Boulevard, Suite 100, Jacksonville, FL 32207; Tel: 904.396.3052.
Jacksonville Community Council. Life in Jacksonville: Quality Indicators for Progress. (Jacksonville, FL: Jacksonville Community Council, Inc., November 1990). This is a report on sustainable community indicators in Jacksonville, FL.
Kingsley, G. Thomas, ed. Building and Operating Neighborhood Indicators Systems: A Guidebook. (Washington, DC: The Urban Institute, March 1999). This guidebook explains the strategies and techniques used by the local partners in the National Neighborhood Indicators Project to build and operate their indicator systems so as to help institutions in other cities develop similar capacities. This resource can be found online at: http://www.urban.org/nnip/pdf/guidebk.pdf.
Kretzmann, John and John McKnight. Building Communities from the Inside Out. (Evanston, IL: Center for Urban Affairs and Policy Research, Northwestern University, 1993). This is an extensive guide to identifying and mobilizing community resources. To obtain this resource contact the Center for Urban Affairs and Policy Research, Neighborhood Innovations Network, Northwestern University, 2040 Sheridan Road, Evanston, IL 60208, Tel: 708.491.3518, Fax: 708.491.9916.
Margoluis, Richard and Nick Salafsky. Measures of Success: Designing, Managing, and Monitoring Conservation and Development Projects. (Washington, DC: Island Press, 1998). This is a practical, hands-on guide to designing, managing, and measuring the impacts of community-oriented conservation and development projects. The text follows the structure of a planning process from conception to completion, with the chapters linked by four scenarios that serve as teaching case studies throughout the book. To obtain this resource contact Island Press, Box 7, Dept.2AU, Covelo, CA 95428; Tel: 800.828.1302; Fax: 707.983.6414; Email: ipwest@igc.apc.org; Website: www.islandpress.org.
Maguire, M. et al. O, Say Can You See: A Visual Awareness Tool Kit for Communities. (Washington, DC: Scenic America, 1999). This collection of visual assessment exercises helps members of a community to open their eyes, assess local visual assets and think about how to preserve and enhance them. To obtain this resource contact Scenic America, 801 Pennsylvania Avenue, SE, Suite 300, Washington, DC 20003; Tel: 202.543.6200; Website: http://www.scenic.org.
Meadows, Donella. Indicators and Information Systems for Sustainable Development. (1998). A framework for developing indicators of sustainable development, this paper outlines why indicators are important and how to go about selecting them. To obtain this resource contact the Sustainability Institute, 3 Linden Road, Hartland, VT 05048; Tel: 802.436.1277; Fax: 802.436.1281. This resource can be found online at: http://www.sustainabilityinstitute.org/pubs.
Mid-America Regional Council. Metro Outlook: Measuring the Progress of Metropolitan Kansas City. (August 2001). This report brings new information to bear on the region's quality of life. It analyzes more than 100 indicators that measure how the community is faring on a wide variety of issues and also investigates the relationships between three primary sets of data --economic, social and environmental. To obtain this resource contact the Mid-America Regional Council, 600 Broadway, Suite 300, Kansas City, MO 64105; Tel: 816.474.4240. This resource can be found online at: http://www.marc.org/archives/metrooutlookrelease.htm.
New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection. Living with the Future in Mind: First Annual Update to the Sustainable State Project Report 2000. This report summarizes New Jersey's headway in achieving the 11 sustainability goals outlined in the1999 Living with the Future in Mind report. To obtain this resource contact Environmental Planning and Science, NJDEP, P.O. Box 409, Trenton, NJ 08625-0409; Tel: 609.292.1254. This resource can be found online at: http://www.state.nj.us/dep/dsr/sustainable-state/.
North Carolina Progress Board. Measuring Our Progress: Targets for the Year 2010. (December 1997). The purpose of this report is to identify and encourage discussion of critical demographic, social, and economic trends that will bear upon North Carolina's future and to issue an initial set of goals and targets.
Pasadena City Council. The Quality of Life in Pasadena. (Pasadena, CA: Pasadena City Council). This is a report on sustainable community indicators in Pasadena, CA. To obtain this resource call or write: City of Pasadena, Public Health Department, 100 N Garfield Avenue, Room 136, Pasadena, CA 91109, Tel: 818.405.4392.
Perry, Andrea. Sustainable Cobscook Community Alliance Indicator Analysis. (Bar Harbor, ME: College of the Atlantic, May 1994). This is a report on Sustainable Community Indicators in Cobscook, ME.
Rasker, Ray, Jerry Johnson, and Vicky York. Measuring Change in Rural Communities: A Workbook for Determining Demographic, Economic and Fiscal Trends (Tucson, AZ: Sonoran Institute). This hands-on guide for non-experts helps rural community residents understand the economic, demographic and fiscal trends that shape the place they live. The exercises help identify new opportuniteis and prepare for new problems. This resource can be found online at: http://www.sonoran.org/workbook.download.html.
Redefining Progress, Sustainable Seattle and Tyler Norris Associates. The Community Indicators Handbook. (San Francisco: Redefining Progress, Sustainable Seattle and Tyler Norris Associates, 1997). This handbook draws on the experience of dozens of projects throughout the United States and presents how-to's and resources for tailoring an indicator project to the specific needs of a community. To obtain this resource email Redefining Progress at: info@rprogress.org.
Rural Action. Building Healthy Communities. This online publication describes the steps local citizens and organizations have taken toward building healthy communities in southern Ohio and lists environmental and human needs, and economic indicators. To obtain this resource contact Rural Action, P.O. Box 157, Trimble, OH 04782; Tel: 740.767.4938; Fax: 740.767.4957. This resource can be found online at: http://www.ruralaction.org/build_indicators.html.
Sierra Business Council. Sierra Nevada Wealth Index: Understanding and Tracking Our Region's Wealth. (Truckee, CA: Sierra Business Council, 1996). This report provides an assessment of all the assets - social, natural and financial - that are the foundation of the wealth of the Sierra Nevada region. To obtain this resource contact the Sierra Business Council, P.O. Box 2428, Truckee, CA 96160; Tel: 916.582.4800; Fax: 916.582.1230; Website: http://www.tahoe.ceres.ca.gov/sbc.
Southern California Council on Environment and Development (SCCED). The State of The Local Environment and Economy - 1997. (Santa Monica, CA: Southern California Council on Environment and Development (SCCED), 1997). This annual report presents past data and projections for the future for the Southern California Council of Governments 6-county area. To obtain this resource contact the SCCED at Tel:310.281.8534; Fax:310.455.3011; Email: sccedmail@aol.com. This resource can be found online at: http://www.scced.org.
South Florida Regional Planning Council. The Broward Benchmarks. This annual document documents the benchmarks and goals of Broward County, FL. This resource can be found online at: http://www.sfrpc.com/ccb/tbb00.htm.
Sustainable Community Roundtable. State of the Community 1995. (Olympia, WA: 1995).
Sustainable Seattle. Indicators of Sustainable Community 1998. This report uses a list of 40 indicators to track the long term health and vitality of Seattle's cultural, ecological, economic, and social systems. To obtain this resource contact Sustainable Seattle, 514 Minor Avenue, Seattle, WA 98109; Tel: 206.622.3522; Fax: 206.622.3611; Email: sustsea@halcyon.com.
Willapa Alliance. Willapa Indicators for a Sustainable Community. (The Willapa Alliance and Ecotrust, 1995). To obtain this resource contact: Willapa Alliance, Box 278, South Bend, WA 98586, Tel: 360.875.5195
Worldwatch Institute. Vital Signs 2001: Trends that are Shaping our Future.. (New York, NY: W. W. Norton & Co., 2001). This tenth volume in this series gives readers easy access to indicators that show social, economic, and environmental progress, or the lack of it.
York University, President's Task Force on Sustainability. Sustainability on the Keele Campus: The Story So Far. (Toronto, Ontario: June 2001). This report documents where the Keele campus of York University stands on several key sustainability issues: energy, water, waste, land use planning, biodiversity, transportation, buildings, curricula, green enterprises, and outreach to the local community. This resource can be found online at: http://www.yorku.ca/president/initiatives/sustainability%20report%20and%20response.htm.
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Olympia Sustainable City Initiative/ Sustainable Community Roundtable, Olympia, Wash.; Private citizens, and local government, businesses, and civic groups have been meeting and working together the make their community more sustainable, using plans and indicators.
Santa Monica Sustainable City Program, Santa Monica, Calif.; City government sponsored an extensive process of civic presentations, discussions, and surveys to develop a plan for local sustainability, several initiatives are currently underway.
Jacksonville Quality Indicators for Progress, Jacksonville, Fla.; A non-profit organization has been working for 10 years with local government, business, and citizens to provide an annual listing of community indicators and goals for the future.
Boulder County Healthy Communities Initiative, Boulder, Colo.; A mid-sized community formed a large committee of local stakeholders to develop a plan for a sustainable future, including education and outreach programs, indicators and priorities.
Sustainable Cobscook, Cobscook, Maine; A citizen's organization was formed to develop and implement a number of initiatives to make nine small coastal communities more sustainable, with funds from Ford Foundation and others.
Community Visioning & Implementation Inventories & Indicators Building Partnerships Civic Engagement Justice & Equity Conflict Resolution & Mediation Culture, Art, Ethnicity, Heritage & Celebrations
To SCN home page URL: http://www.sustainable.org/