Regional Dashboard
Key Findings from the 2012 San Diego Regional Quality of Life Dashboard
Today our region stands at a crossroads, poised to shepherd in a new era in which San Diego can rise up as a model for quality of life, sustainability and economic prosperity, even as we work to accommodate 650,000 more people in the next 20 years.
From Bleak Economy, Ingenuity Sprouts
While the economic recession
officially ended in June 2009, job growth moved in disappointing fits and
starts, creating an atmosphere of uncertainty throughout the region. In 2011
the poverty rate in San Diego reached an all-time high, the unemployment rate
hovered above nine percent, and residents expressed concern about jobs and the
cost of living in the region. Other indicators of our region’s health and
prosperity contained in the 2012 Dashboard represent a mixed bag of progress
and decline. We remain a region at risk.
Still, bleak economic times gave rise to a spirit of resourcefulness and ingenuity across both the public and private sectors:
- Through its now more than 800 clean-tech companies, San Diego County is firmly establishing itself among the nation’s hubs for the clean economy of the future: our “cleantech cluster” contributes 10,000 jobs and $2.25 billion in economic activity annually to the region.
- While facing severe budget challenges, cities across the County managed to leverage economic stimulus funding to complete energy and water efficiency projects, and our County is the first in the state of California to have all jurisdictions complete greenhouse gas inventories. These investments will yield long-term savings for taxpayers, benefit the environment, and create jobs.
- Our air and water quality appear to be improving, but good data that allows us to compare accurately from year to year is another casualty of the recession. Unequal access to clean air, water and parks is still a concern for our less fortunate populations.
Our region’s challenges are great, but thanks to efforts led by The San Diego Foundation, the region now has a collective vision for the future informed by direct input from its residents. The 2012 Regional Quality of Life Dashboard is a tool to help realize that vision. Proven solutions do exist. Many of these are outlined throughout the 2012 Dashboard in the form of “Bright Spots” and policy options.
Need for Integrated Solutions Clearer Than Ever
This year’s Dashboard paints a clearer picture than ever before of
how interrelated the 16 Quality of Life Indicators truly are—underscoring why integrated solutions are
the only way to truly chart a more sustainable future for the region. For
example, the electricity blackout of September 2011 resulted in dangerous water
pollution that necessitated beach closures and boiled water advisories, a
wake-up call for many San Diegans about just how vulnerable and how interlinked
our energy and water resources are.
In fact, energy, water and all of the indicators in the 2012 Dashboard are fundamentally linked in many more ways than that. Click here to learn more about how.
Measuring What Matters: About the
San Diego Regional Quality of Life Dashboard
Eighty-five percent of San Diego residents
rate our quality of life as good or excellent (SANDAG, 2010). But change is
coming. Our region will grow by another 650,000 people by the year 2030—mostly
through children and grandchildren of current residents. How can we prepare for growth while
maintaining the quality of life that is already under threat today?
Equinox Center’s annual San Diego Regional Quality of Life Dashboard is the region’s most comprehensive, yet accessible tool to guide the way. Backed by empirical research, and using clear metrics, targets and benchmarks, the annual Dashboard tracks our region’s performance on critical, interlinking quality of life issues and provides integrated solutions to help us improve. We are grateful to our many partners in the region who support our work and contribute data and ideas for bright spots and policy options. Together we can chart an intelligent course for the future.