Springer Community Quality-of-Life Indicators: Best Cases VIII (Community Quality-of-Life and Well-Being)

This book offers critical insights into the thriving international field of community indicators, incorporating the experiences of government leaders, philanthropic professionals, community planners and a wide range of academic disciplines. It illuminates the important role of community indicators in diverse settings and the rationale for the development and implementation of these innovative projects.  This book details many of the practical “how to” aspects of the field as well as lessons learned from implementing indicators in practice. The case studies included here also demonstrate how, using a variety of data applications, leaders of today are monitoring and measuring progress and communities are empowered to make sustainable improvements in their wellbeing. With examples related to the environment, economy, planning, community engagement and health, among others, this book epitomizes the constant innovation, collaborative partnerships and the consummate interdisciplinarity of the community indicators field of today. From the Back Cover This book offers critical insights into the thriving international field of community indicators, incorporating the experiences of government leaders, philanthropic professionals, community planners and a wide range of academic disciplines. It illuminates the important role of community indicators in diverse settings and the rationale for the development and implementation of these innovative projects.  This book details many of the practical “how to” aspects of the field as well as lessons learned from implementing indicators in practice. The case studies included here also demonstrate how, using a variety of data applications, leaders of today are monitoring and measuring progress and communities are empowered to make sustainable improvements in their wellbeing. With examples related to the environment, economy, planning, community engagement and health, among others, this book epitomizes the constant innovation, collaborative partnerships and the consummate interdisciplinarity of the community indicators field of today. About the Author Frank Ridzi is Vice President for Community Investment at the Central New York Community Foundation, Associate Professor of Sociology at Le Moyne College, President of the Community Indicators Consortium Board and former President of the Literacy Funders Network, an affinity group of the Council on Foundations. Frank has conducted research and written in the areas of literacy coalitions, sociology of work, and student affairs. His writings have appeared in such places as the Foundation Review, the Journal of Applied Social Sciences, the Journal of Organizational Change Management, and Review of Policy Research. Frank holds a Masters Degree in Public Administration and a Ph.D. in Sociology from Syracuse University’s Maxwell School. He also carries a Certificate of Advanced Study in Women’s Studies. Prior to joining the Community Foundation, he served as Director for the Center of Urban and Regional Applied Research at Le Moyne College, where he still serves as Associate Professor of Sociology. Melanie T. Davern (PhD) is a Senior Research Fellow, Director of the Australian Urban Observatory, and Co-Director of the Healthy Liveable Cities Group within the Centre for Urban Research at RMIT University, Melbourne, Victoria and an Honorary Senior Research Fellow, School of Population and Global Health, University of Melbourne (Australia). Melanie has specific expertise in the development and application of policy and practice-based social, economic and environmental indicators that support evidence-based policy and planning. These indicators are specifically curated applied research translation tools based on academic research and constructed to measure the broad social determinants of health or liveability across Australian communities. Indicators are used in applied local, state and federal government setting