Last week’s Open House provided a chance for the public to review a current draft of a Livability Performance Measurement System for our area. We appreciate the feedback that was received at this event, which has been transcribed and posted on our website. We welcome you to peruse this feedback, and leave additional comments here. This input will be taken into consideration and incorporated where appropriate into the final performance measurement system.
Since many of the comments suggest additional indicators or question why certain indicators were used, we thought it would be helpful to explain the data criteria in more detail. The performance measurement system is designed to evaluate our region based on data that is currently available. In other words, we are not collecting data for this project, such as conducting an inventory of animal species found locally, or carrying out a survey of housing conditions. For a majority of the indicators, we rely on credible, third-party sources to supply the data.
One of our main sources is the US Census Bureau – which conducts both the US Census (every 10 years) and the American Community Survey (or ACS, which is conducted on a continual basis, thus providing more current data). ACS data includes surveys of housing, the economy, population demographics, and social characteristics. We invite you to review the data we used for Albemarle County and Charlottesville and to explore the American Factfinder website to better understand the types of data that are available. The US Census offers a wealth of information that is relevant to our community. What measurements from the Census do you think could be helpful to better understand our region?
Wednesday, June 29, 2011
Friday, June 24, 2011
Get Involved with the Livability Project!
Thank you to everyone who took the time to attend the Livability Performance Measurement System Open House yesterday! We appreciate the thoughtful comments and input that participants provided. Your feedback allows us to improve the system so that it better reflects the values of our community. If you didn’t have a chance to attend, you can review the posters on our website leave your comments here.
We’d love any additional feedback – do you think these indicators are good measures of our community? What other indicators would reflect what you value in our community? (And meet our data criteria of being reliable and regularly produced.) What indicators would you like to see us make progress on in coming years? How can this be achieved?
If this project is one you or your organization would like to contribute to, please consider joining the Livability Partnership. This partnership will be made up of representatives from a wide array of community organizations, who will have a chance to provide input into the process. The partnership will convene for quarterly meetings to review Livability project materials and voice their concerns and goals for our community.
Please take a moment to read the letter of invitation and return the sign-up form if you are interested! We’d love to see you or a representative of your group at the first meeting on Monday, July 11 at 7:00pm.
We’d love any additional feedback – do you think these indicators are good measures of our community? What other indicators would reflect what you value in our community? (And meet our data criteria of being reliable and regularly produced.) What indicators would you like to see us make progress on in coming years? How can this be achieved?
If this project is one you or your organization would like to contribute to, please consider joining the Livability Partnership. This partnership will be made up of representatives from a wide array of community organizations, who will have a chance to provide input into the process. The partnership will convene for quarterly meetings to review Livability project materials and voice their concerns and goals for our community.
Please take a moment to read the letter of invitation and return the sign-up form if you are interested! We’d love to see you or a representative of your group at the first meeting on Monday, July 11 at 7:00pm.
Tuesday, June 21, 2011
Where Are We Now?
How will we know if the Charlottesville-Albemarle area has been successful in creating a more livable community in five, ten or even twenty years from now? In order to measure our progress, it’s important to have a snapshot of where we stand today. For this reason, the Livability project has designed a Performance Measurement System to evaluate where we stand in key areas of our community. This system will be shared with the public in its current, preliminary form this Thursday (details below).
The Performance Measurement System contains indicators which fall into six categories:
For each of these categories, 10-15 indicators were chosen to measure current outcomes in that category. Each of the systems and indicators are based on goals and values as expressed in the City of Charlottesville and Albemarle County Comprehensive Plans. These documents have been approved by each locality’s elected officials and summarize the county or city’s vision for their future.
For example, one of the indicators measured in the Natural Resources system is the portion of our rivers that are currently considered impaired (for having bacteria or pollutant levels above standards). The comprehensive plans of both Charlottesville and Albemarle place importance on clean waterways, for ecological benefits as well as the protection of our drinking water supply. This indicator gives us a snapshot of the health of our waterways today, and can be compared to future evaluations of our streams to let us know if we have made progress in reducing pollution levels.
We hope you will join us at the Open House this Thursday to review each of the chosen indicators in detail and provide feedback. If you can’t make it, check the website on Friday for digital versions of the information that will be shared and leave your comments on the site.
Performance Measurement System Open House
Thursday, June 23
4:00-7:00pm
Saunders Hall
UVA Darden School of Business (North Grounds Campus)
100 Darden Blvd. Charlottesville, VA 22903
Full details and directions can be found under the Meetings & Events tab on this site.
The Performance Measurement System contains indicators which fall into six categories:
- Natural Resources
- Housing & the Built Environment
- Communities & Neighborhoods
- Transportation
- Economy
- Infrastructure
For each of these categories, 10-15 indicators were chosen to measure current outcomes in that category. Each of the systems and indicators are based on goals and values as expressed in the City of Charlottesville and Albemarle County Comprehensive Plans. These documents have been approved by each locality’s elected officials and summarize the county or city’s vision for their future.
For example, one of the indicators measured in the Natural Resources system is the portion of our rivers that are currently considered impaired (for having bacteria or pollutant levels above standards). The comprehensive plans of both Charlottesville and Albemarle place importance on clean waterways, for ecological benefits as well as the protection of our drinking water supply. This indicator gives us a snapshot of the health of our waterways today, and can be compared to future evaluations of our streams to let us know if we have made progress in reducing pollution levels.
We hope you will join us at the Open House this Thursday to review each of the chosen indicators in detail and provide feedback. If you can’t make it, check the website on Friday for digital versions of the information that will be shared and leave your comments on the site.
Performance Measurement System Open House
Thursday, June 23
4:00-7:00pm
Saunders Hall
UVA Darden School of Business (North Grounds Campus)
100 Darden Blvd. Charlottesville, VA 22903
Full details and directions can be found under the Meetings & Events tab on this site.
Monday, June 20, 2011
Many Plans, One Community
Welcome to the Many Plans, One Community blog! We hope to use this space to provide interested community members with a window into the Livable Communities Project. We are on our way to planning for a more livable future for Charlottesville and Albemarle County. Please use this space to stay informed of our activities and become engaged in the process.
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