neighborhoods are often related to the age of the community and the changes that occur
in neighborhoods as they mature.
•
Revitalizing:
These are older residential communities. They are served by infrastructure,
but the age of infrastructure leads to challenges. Demographically, these communities
have significant concentrations of youth and senior populations. These NSAs are
experiencing various levels of pressures associated with community change. The age of
housing and the infrastructure provide opportunities to be proactive in meeting
community challenges.
For additional information on the origins of the framework and extended descriptions of the 2006
NSAs and analysis methods, see the Defining Quality of Life, Geographic Units and Methods
sections in the 2006 NQL Study.
State of the Practice Survey
As part of the 2014 NQL Study Update, the project team surveyed the national state of the
practice in neighborhood quality of life indices to identify new methodological advancements
and trends. They reviewed five major studies, including:
•
Baltimore Neighborhood Indicators Alliance (BNIA Study)
•
Charlotte-Mecklenburg Neighborhood Quality of Life Study (C-M Study)
•
Jacksonville Integrated Planning Project (JIPP)
•
Seattle Happiness Initiative (SHI)
•
Sustainable Communities Index (SCI)
The purpose of reviewing these studies was to identify best practices from other quality of life
indices that could be integrated into the 2014 NQL Study Update. Lessons learned from the
review are summarized below.
Methodology
:
Each study used a slightly different methodology; however, the following trends
were observed.
•
The BNIA and C-M studies are the most similar to the 2006 NQL Study; both studies
analyze existing conditions variables for set geographic units within a study area.
•
The JIPP and SCI add higher-level data analyses (e.g., risk mapping, access to
amenities); however, their geographic units vary depending on the variable.
•
The SHI relies primarily on subjective data and uses a significantly different framework
for determining quality of life; objective data analysis is minimal.
Relationship between Variables, Methodology and Geographic Units
:
Most of the studies
reviewed used a mix of variable data from local, regional and federal government sources,
November 2014
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