Community Vital Signs:
Chippewa Valley, Wisconsin, USA

Here's another way of looking at a community. Citizens in the Chippewa Valley, Wisconsin, USA have used these criteria to help them decide about the future. You can apply these guidelines to measure how things are now, too, where you live or at one of the communities on this web site. Not everyone will agree. Use your best judgment.

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.

Fostering a Sense of Community
Inclusiveness - People who are directly affected take an active part in the decision-making process.

Use of local resources - As much as possible, public and private projects respect and use local people, local energy and local materials.

Quality of life - Community activities improve residents' opportunities for an overall sense of fulfillment in life.

Public safety - Laws and habits improve the community's sense of security and personal safety.

Education - Programs support learning and skill development for people of all abilities and ages.

Scale - People support community institutions and activities with a size and scale of that foster individual relationships and accountability.

History - People respect the values, valued traditions and historical elements of the community.

Identity and belonging - Everyone, regardless of status or differences, feels a sense of belonging and ownership in the community.

Neighborliness - Supports the development of relationships where people help and care for each other.

Social Equity

Benefits - Programs, institutions and activities encourage sharing of the benefits.

Equity - Activities do not increase the disparity of wealth between the most well-off and the least well-off in the community

Affordability and access - Promotes fair and affordable access to food, housing, health care, other services and opportunities needed for quality of life

Relationships - Fosters cooperation more than competition; "win-win" rather than "win-lose"

Fairness to other communities - Community decisions do not unfairly impact other communities nearby, in other parts of the state, country or world

Fairness to future generations - Decisions consider the well-being of those who will inherit its impact in the future

Ecological Health

Protection and preservation - Policies and practices enhance the integrity, stability and beauty of the surrounding ecosystem; protects biodiversity.

Energy conservation - People welcome greater efficiency in the use of energy resources

Consumption and waste - People support the reduction, reuse, and recycling of waste

Green space - The community improves access to and quality of streams, rivers and trees.

Healthy buildings - Builders, residents and property owners promote healthier indoor environments

Clean environment - People act to reduce air, water and noise pollution

Transportation - People attempt to reduce reliance on fossil fuels and promote alternatives to single occupancy vehicles (public transit, walking and bicycling)

Economic Health

Meaningful work - The community offers sufficient and meaningful work which provides a living wage and/or respects the value of the job holder

Local economy - Government, commercial interests and consumers work to improve and support opportunities for diversity among small, locally-owned businesses

Supply lines - Purchasing practices shorten community supply lines by enhancing the ability to provide for more needed goods and services from within the region.

Economic security - Policies and agreements links area and regional businesses, resources and markets to increase long-term stability

Trade-Offs and Long Term Impact
Prioritizing community values - Community decisions justify the use of human, natural and economic resources in view of competing community needs. Addresses diverse needs at the same time, informed by community values.

Legacy - Considers the impact on generations 100 years from now
Big picture Takes into account the links between community social, ecological, economic and spiritual issues. Includes methods for reaching cooperative agreements with other communities and other interests

Improvement over time - Plans for ways to tell people whether goals are being met; allows for changes to be made based on results.