Community Indicator Projects

[Andrew Jones]

Amy Johnson asked about communities using system dynamics to investigate the
drivers of various indicators of quality of life at the community level.
Two leads:

High Performance Systems and The Healthcare Forum have developed "The
Community Builder," a community development/indicators process with a SD
model embedded in it. While I have heard that its recent use by actual
communities (and possibly indicators groups) has not been overwhelming, they
have reportedly had some successes working with people at the local level.
More information is available at: (415) 356-4300, and at HPS website
(www.hps-inc.com), I believe.

Don Seville and I, working through the Sustainability Institute, a new
not-for-profit organization that Dana Meadows heads, have developed a
"concept" model loosely based on Forresters Urban Dynamics work that
explores the behavior over time of various indicators of quality of life and
environmental sustainability. Later this spring we will be working with
local decisionmakers (including indicator groups) in Santa Barbara Cal.
and/or Tucson Ariz. to move beyond a concept model toward a model in which
we have more confidence. No real news yet, but in a year we will be able to
report our experiences from working with indicator groups.

Drew Jones


Andrew Jones w:(828) 236-0884
118 Coleman Ave. h:(828) 252-1266
Asheville, NC 28801 e: apjones@cheta.net