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 | Neighborhood Vital Signs
Pulse, respiration, temperature – these are the vital signs a doctor relies upon to gauge an individual’s health. Rather than examining every system of the body, she/he focuses on this small set of indicators to get an immediate picture of one’s health and plot a course of action.
Similarly, neighborhoods can have vital signs that measure the most important elements of neighborhood vitality and compel strategic action. But up until now in our city, we haven’t determined what those vital signs actually are. We haven’t figured out the neighborhood-level equivalent of pulse, respiration and temperature that tells us how we’re doing and where we should focus our collective neighborhood efforts.
Neighborhood Vital Signs is a city-wide initiative to promote vibrant neighborhoods by defining key indicators that inform, motivate and measure the shared action of grassroots neighborhood groups and efforts.
Background
Neighborhood Vital Signs, a project initiated by neighbors, city staff, grassroots organizations and members of the foundation community, began as the result of the June 2007 Neighborhood Conference in Denver where over 250 neighbors engaged in a dialogue about the “elements of a vibrant neighborhood”. Those rich conversations inspired the idea to shape a set of neighborhood indicators - or vital signs - that would allow Denver neighborhoods to focus, work on and track the elements of neighborhood vitality that are most important to each neighborhood.
How Can Vital Signs Help Neighborhoods?
• Set a proactive agenda for your neighborhood’s future rather than waiting to react to someone else’s proposed change.
• Focus your neighborhood on the high-leverage issues that matter most.
• Compel collaboration by concentrating the assets, resources and strength of people, groups and agencies on the issues that matter most to your neighborhood.
• Build Power by strengthening neighborhood ties to the places and systems where decisions get made.
Principles of Vital Signs
Learn from Past Experiences - Since we don’t want to re-invent the wheel, Neighborhood Vital Signs will partner with and learn from similar past and current efforts to create a new and useful tool for neighborhoods.
Inclusiveness – Creating Neighborhood Vital Signs is an inclusive way to strengthen neighborhoods that engages the diverse perspectives, backgrounds and experiences of Denver’s neighborhoods and creates a greater sense of belonging in the process.
Follow-Through - No project or program can take the place of grassroots ingenuity and commitment. But Vital Signs will provide a unique tool to help neighborhoods focus on what’s most important to them and offer a link to community resources that support their priorities.
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