San Diego got some thumbs-up and some thumbs-down in an annual report on its quality of life. The Nonprofit Institute at the University of San Diego just released the findings of its Equinox Project, called the 2019 San Diego Regional Quality of Life Dashboard.
Environmental and economic factors in the county are measured and compared to data from previous years and are given a ‘thumbs-up’, a ‘thumbs-down’, or a neutral rating depending on the percentage of improvement or decline. Readers of the study can then click on each facet to expand the report, which includes charts and graphs.
In this year’s dashboard, electricity use has decreased, while employment and entrepreneurship have increased; thus receiving a thumbs-up score. Housing, traffic, and water use were each given a thumbs-down. According to the report, daily water use has increased by 8.3% from 84 gallons per capita in 2017 to 91 gallons per capita in 2018 — after statewide water restrictions were lifted.
Other areas of focus in the report include air quality, electric vehicles, park access, beach water quality and transportation choices. New areas of interest for this year include climate change and regional leadership & planning.
Christiana DeBenedict is director of environment leadership initiatives at the Nonprofit Institute at USD.
“We face environmental challenges that threaten our quality of life. The Equinox Project is important because it provides data and information, highlights regional leadership and solutions,” DeBenedict said.
The Equinox Project partners with nonprofit organizations, government agencies and the business community. These organizations provide relevant data and other information that is then combined with publicly available data, and analyzed by Equinox researchers to determine trends occurring in the region.
The first Quality of Life Dashboard was released in 2010. The goal of sharing the data is to inform the public, as well as decision-makers responsible for creating solutions to regional challenges.
