40 Indicators of a Sustainable Community:
Seattle, Washington, USA

In the early 1990s citizens in Seattle, Washington, USA, put together a list of 99 ways to measure their communities' long-term health and vitality. Since then, the list has been reduced to 40. By their definition, a sustainable society is one that is healthy, vital, resilient, and is able to adapt to changing conditions over the long term. What do you think?

See how your community compares to a community on this web site.
Put a + in the blank if the trend in this community is improving.
Put a 0 if things are neutral and not changing much
Put a - if the trend is declining; things are getting worse.

Environment
Wild fish (or where there is little water, wild animals)
Ecological health
Soil erosion
Air quality
Pedestrian-bicycle-friendly streets
Open space near villages
Impervious surfaces (where water cannot drain naturally)

 

Population & Resources
Population
Water consumption
Solid waste generated and recycled
Pollution prevention
Local farm production
Vehicle miles traveled and fuel consumption
Renewable and nonrenewable energy use

Economy
Energy use per dollar of income
Employment concentration
Unemployment
Distribution of personal income
Health care expenditures
Work required for basic needs
Housing affordability
Children living in poverty
Emergency room for non-ER purposes
Community reinvestment

Youth & Education
High school graduation
Ethnic diversity of teachers
Arts instruction
Volunteer involvement in schools
Juvenile crime
Youth involvement in community service
Equity in justice
Adult literacy

Health & Community
Low birth weight in infants
Asthma hospitalization for children
Voter participation
Library and community center use
Public participation in the arts
Gardening
Neighborliness
Perceived quality of life