Defining and measuring neighborhood sustainability in Charlotte, North Carolina

This paper reports on research measuring sustainability at the community-level scale. Working with planning and community development organizations in Charlotte, North Carolina, researchers from the Department of Geography & Earth Sciences, University of North Carolina at Charlotte, developed and constructed a sustainable index for 73 inner city neighborhoods. This research embraces the broad definition of sustainable communities. It uses 28 indicator variables chosen to represent the multifaceted concept of local sustainability. Social, economic, and environmental factors are broadly represented. A sustainable index value was calculated for each neighborhood. In turn, this measure allows for comparison between neighborhoods as well as across communities. Moreover, the research methodology provides a framework for selecting, measuring, and analyzing the potential impact of public policy initiatives on neighborhood condition.