Community Sustainability Evaluation Initiative
The Helsinki Institute of Urban and Regional Studies (Urbaria) has identified 29 sustainability indicators to measure the sustainability of residential areas at the neighbourhood level. The project, which aimed to help cities evaluate and monitor sustainability, resulted in a book titled "Towards More Sustainable Residential Areas - indicators of neighbourhood and block sustainability."
The 29 sustainability indicators are categorized under four themes: communities and inclusion, wellbeing and social disadvantage, the state of nature and urban green space, and homes and streets.
Social Sustainability Indicators
These indicators focus on aspects related to social well-being, equity, accessibility, and community inclusion within neighbourhoods. Some examples include:
- The ratio of travel time between regions using sustainable modes of transport (walking, cycling, and public transport) in relation to private car use.
- The total share of the population that can access essential places, like the nearest grocery store, school, or health centre on foot.
- The total number of jobs accessible using sustainable modes of transportation within reasonable travel time.
Ecological Sustainability Indicators
These indicators address environmental performance, resource efficiency, ecological footprint, green infrastructure, climate resilience, and biodiversity.
The project emphasizes the importance of considering multidimensional and multitemporal factors such as different modes of transportation, variation in time and between individuals, quality of the mobility environment, and environmental costs caused by mobility choices.
The Helsinki Institute of Urban and Regional Studies hopes that this book, now available in English for free download, will raise awareness about the indicators and spark further research in the field.
For the complete and precise list of the 29 specific indicators and their detailed definitions, one would refer to the book published by the Institute as a main outcome of this 2023 project. The publicly available summaries indicate that the indicators aim to foster transformative, integrated approaches for sustainable urban futures at the neighbourhood scale.
[1] Lehtinen, J., Posti, M., Jäännes, J., & Czyzewski, J. (2023). Towards More Sustainable Residential Areas - indicators of neighbourhood and block sustainability. Helsinki Institute of Urban and Regional Studies, Helsinki, Finland. DOI: 10.31885/9789515183088.
For more information, visit: https://doi.org/10.31885/9789515183088
- The book "Towards More Sustainable Residential Areas" by the Helsinki Institute of Urban and Regional Studies provides detailed definitions for the 29 sustainability indicators, aiming to foster integrated approaches for sustainable urban living at the neighborhood scale.
- The project's ecological sustainability indicators highlight environmental performance, resource efficiency, and biodiversity, encouraging cities to consider multidimensional factors for a more sustainable urban future.
- Learning about these sustainability indicators and fostering further research in the field can be achieved through online education resources, making the book by Urbaria a valuable asset for those interested in environmental-science, education-and-self-development, and sustainable-living.
- In line with the lifelong-learning principle, the increasing importance of home-and-garden practices, and the growing need for understanding neighborhood sustainability, these indicators offer a unique lens for assessing the sustainability of a residential area's lifestyle and living conditions.
