Indicators
Measuring Progress -- What Are Indicators?
The role of an indicator is to make complex systems understandable or perceptible. An effective indicator or set of indicators helps a community determine where it is, where it is going, and how far it is from chosen goals. Indicators of sustainability examine a community's long-term viability based on the degree to which its economic, environmental, and social systems are efficient and integrated.
To measure the degree of efficiency and integration, a set of numerous indicators is often required. These indicators can incorporate several broad categories such as Economy, Environment, Society/Culture, Government/Politics, Resource Consumption, Education, Health, Housing Quality of Life, Population, Public Safety, Recreation, and Transportation.
Examples of indicators currently in use from several of these categories include:
ECONOMY
Income: Distribution of Jobs and Income
Business: Percentage of wages earned within a community also spent within the community
Training: Employer payroll dedicated to continuing training/education
ENVIRONMENT
Air: CO2 emissions from transportation sources
Drinking Water: Percentage reduction in drinking water supplies from 1990
Land Use: Percentage of development occurring annually within an urban area
RESOURCE CONSUMPTION
Energy: Percentage energy used from renewable sources
Hazardous Materials: Consumption of pesticides
Water: Number of gallons of water saved through leak repair
SOCIETY/CULTURE
Abuse: Child abuse/neglect/abandonment
Diversity: Racism perception
Volunteerism: Volunteer rate for sustainability activities
These sample indicators were drawn from a compilation by author Maureen Hart in her book Guide to Sustainable Community Indicators. Hart Environmental Data's Sustainable Measures web site is a wonderful source for insightful definitions, a comprehensive list of sample indicators, characteristics of effective indicators, data sources, and other valuable information.
The International Institute for Sustainable Development provides access to useful information on indicators, including a Compendium of SD Indicator Initiatives and a downloadable PDF version of the report Indicators and Information Systems for Sustainable Development, compiled by Donella Meadows for the Balaton Group. IISD also offers the Dashboard of Sustainability, a visual model of indicators that makes national progress toward, or away from, sustainability more apparent.
More information on defining indicators, sample indicators, examples of indicators at work, and links to a number of other indicator sites can be found in the Community Indicators section of the Livable Communities website.
The usefulness and accuracy of Indicators of Sustainability depends on their ability to create a "snapshot" of the community's economic, environmental, and social systems. Choosing the appropriate indicators and developing a program is a large-scale process requiring collaboration between many sectors including government agencies, the public, research institutions, civic and environmental groups, and business.
