Community Indicator Projects
All of the NNIP partners have recurrently updated neighborhood data systems covering a variety of topics. In some cities, communities use the data from the NNIP partners to develop community indicator projects. In this approach, indicators are selected either across topical domains or with a focus (like children) to collectively track trends in community well-being and quality of life. A comprehensive indicators project offers the community an opportunity to discuss what is important to them, to systematically review whether things have been getting better or worse, and to establish priorities for policy response.
The oldest and most well known example is the Boston Indicators Project which has prepared a series of biennial reports with city-wide and neighborhood level indicators in ten major categories. This project has been particularly noteworthy because of its success in engaging many segments of the community in indicator selection and review.
NNIP also collaborates with other organizations focused on indicators systems, such as the Community Indicators Consortium (CIC). The CIC website has a listing of indicator projects in the U.S. and internationally (both neighborhood-focused and those using larger geographic areas).
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