Indicators Session Report-out
Topic: Indicator development
Original Invitation: http://creativelysustainable.com/?p=10
Conveners: Aaron Gilbee, The Wellness Institute, City of Buffalo
Participants: Phil Haberstro, Larry Brooks,Laura Chestnut, Patrick Braun, David Granville, Yuri Hreshchyshyn, Laura Fitzgerald, Beverly McLean
Overview of note process: the meeting notes have been organized by major category. What has been mentioned is directly below is the dialogue that was captured on paper.
Notes from session
History
In the previous strategic planning process, it was explained during the session that people did explore the idea of developing indicators. However, it was not included.
The League of Women Voters has done an awareness campaign on smart growth several years back.
Psychology
Reactions to questions regarding indicators by people include 3: people have their own perceptions, others have facts, others don’t know.
Why are community indicators important?
Increased community awareness
Can’t improve what you can’t measure
Can’t learn from the past if things are not recorded
Can’t unite people if they don’t have similar understanding
Helps to diffuse myths and misperceptions
Let’s people have a way to know when to celebrate progress
It improves decision making quality
Process Questions
At what point do you get community (average people) involved?
Is there a survey of what has been done before?
Currently, a regional vision exists that focuses on the Buffalo Niagara region that was developed in the 1990s. What has resulted is that there is a regional indicator system hosted by the regional institute at UB and developed with the assistance of John Shepard. However, it does not address the city of Buffalo solely. Buffalo data is included in the database.
The city has developed a strategic plan and vision for 2030. Indicator systems have not been included as a part of the project. Concern was expressed about the current planning system that exists is not led by the community.
The process should start qualitatively and then turn quantitative. First it should start with finding out what is important and then giving it a value.
There is a need to audit the community and agencies.
What opportunities exist to hop upon the efforts of the US Census and the American Community Survey?
Who will investigate?
Can the process enhance our effort?
Can we use it to collect data?
How can we work through the infrastructure of the city’s 450 block clubs?
Should work through city hall and through the GNPAs to the block club leaders.
Bill Park was identified as to having credibility with block clubs . He has helped groups develop numbers to empower the citizens to address housing concerns.
Proposed process: Bill ->GNPAs ->block clubs
Should work through the CBOs.
How are we going to gather the data?
How are we going to educate the citizenry about smart growth and sustainability?
How do we audit the indicators to improve the process?
Logic modeling process has been proposed to develop a method to adjust the indicators project.
WHO has a healthy communities framework to organize and present the data that identifies the indicators in a framework that is easily understood. This includes social capital, economic capital, natural capital, and human capital.
To visualize the data, examples can be found at the periodic table of visualization methods.
What are our goals?
To develop a list of 72 indicators like Sustainable Seattle
Is this project contingent upon legislative districts?
Can we use the WNY Environmental Alliance as a way to collect environmental indicators?
Aaron will explore this question (YES!)
What zoning indicators can be tucked under environmental capital?
What indicators exist for economic?
IBA?
How do we gauage the awareness of citizens about indicators, smart growth and sustainability?
When should we publicly announce this effort?
What is a representative number?
Buffalo is a city of 290,000. 10% is seen as being representative and credible.
How might we reach a large enough sample to make this project relevant?
National grid mailings
National Fuel mailings
US Post Office
How do we connect the indicators to something relevant to the lives of the citizenry?
Current assets
Aaron has developed his website to host this project and to become a clearinghouse of information related to the project. The web site is http://creativelysustainable.com. Access to the web site is public and it is encouraged for individuals who desire to sign up and contribute. The web site has been enabled with features to send out newletters and update people automatically via email. Future development to enable the site to be integrated into individual cell phones is being explored.
Available resources for indicators
US Census Data
The American Community Survey
Parcel data
NRIM
Demolition Stats
Issues that might arise when developing indicators
Privacy data
When going through UB, the process is considered to involve human subjects testing. Thus leading to research concerns that link directly to research subject confidentiality. The IRB process can take 3 months if we decide to go through UB to execute the project.
Issues that will arise
Expenses related to staff, paper, time of execution, and other tangible expenses. Aaron is working out a budget.
Resources concerning similar projects
Examples: Whistler Canada
Agency Sponsors: The Natural Step
Federal Agencies that are relevant: LEED, US Green Building Council
Ashland NC project
Potentials of the project
It might develop into a think tank that provides the data and interprets it for the community. The Center for Disease Control provides obesity data for the public and has watched the numbers for 30 years. Its impact can been seen in the media.
Developing timeline
Ajacent projects: Phil has a project that is determining social capital in the city that could be tucked under this project
Oct. 2009 – Patrick pilots a survey
Feb. 15, 2010 – Collect the indicators
March 1, 2010 – State od the city citizen’s report
What should we do next?
Invite city planners to the next meeting
Promote city discussions on sustainability, smart growth, and indicators
Send examples of indicators and resources to Aaron
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