| SCOPE will be releasing
one indicator from the Community Report Card
each
month, beginning with August 2007. This gives you a chance to read through, consider and
discuss the new data. Contact Kate
Irwin at
[email protected] to sign up and receive a copy in your
e-mail inbox.
Also new this year will be SCOPE's
Community Report Card blog!
Introduction -
Sustainability & Sarasota County
To what degree are we living in a way
that is sustainable? A
healthy community involves having many different people and
groups working well together and within the larger system of
humanity and nature. Just as importantly, we must produce
a world for future generations that is as plentiful and
harmonious as the present one. These ideas make up the principle
of “sustainability." Sustainability involves
all aspects of any community and will be a common theme in
SCOPE's indicators.
NATURAL Environment
Indicator # 1
-
Accessibility of Parks & Natural Areas
Can we access our parks and natural areas? Parks and
natural areas of a variety of sizes and in many locations are
vital to a healthy community.
This
indicator measures how many Sarasota County residents live
within walking, biking, and a short driving distance of a park
or natural area.
Indicator # 2 -
Seagrass Coverage in Coastal
Bays
How healthy are our
natural systems? We drink it. We bathe in it. Tourists
come from all over the world to fish and swim in it and to watch
the sun disappear behind it. Of course, we’re talking about
water. To have a healthy community, we need thriving
nature. Since water is so important to our coastal community’s
health, economy and overall quality of life, it bears asking,
“Does Sarasota County have good water quality?”
Indicator # 3 - Connectivity and
Greenways
How are
doing at preserving our land?
Sarasota County is amazingly diverse. The qualities that
produce this amazing diversity are the same ones that draw
humans to the area – and in large numbers! The ever-increasing
population has threatened Florida’s natural environment by
reducing the amount of land that is preserved. With this
indicator, we seek to find out how we are doing at preserving
our land.
BUILT Environment
Indicator
# 4 - Disaster Preparedness
Is Sarasota County ready
for a hurricane?
Indicator # 5 - Transportation
How do our residents get around?
Indicator # 6 - Land Use
How have we organized our built structures?
ECONOMIC Environment
Indicator # 7 - Workforce Housing
Where can our workers afford to live?
Indicator # 8 - Jobs & Industry
What kinds of jobs does Sarasota County attract?
Indicator # 9 - Wealth & Income
How wealthy are we as a community?
SOCIAL Environment |
