In September and October 2018, we hosted three roundtable conversations around potential new indicators to include in future editions of Vital Signs. The conversations focused on emerging ideas and data for Sustainability, Economic Growth and Development, and Crime, Safety and Justice. Participants were asked to identify gaps and opportunities in the existing set of indicators, new topics for research and exploration, as well as to reinforce interest in existing datasets. From the conversations, we are exploring inclusion of the indicators noted below in red.

Thanks to everyone who participated in the conversations last year–we know you love good data as much as we do! If you are interested in learning more, please join our contact list.

Download the Roundtable Summary Document

Sustainability (Presentation)

Gaps and Opportunities

  • Energy Use and Education
  • Climate Change
  • Urban Agriculture
  • Natural Systems
  • Recycling and Reuse
  • Water Quality
  • Neighbors (From the new Sustainability Plan)
  • Justice (From the UN Sustainable Development Goals)
  • Criminalization of Poverty
  • Living Wage
  • Sustainable Production

Topics/Indicators to Explore

  • Noise
  • Air pollution/clean air (EPA EnviroAtlas)
    • Industrial facilities in close proximity to residential areas
    • Car/mobile emissions
  • Recycling by community
  • Asthma hospitalizations
  • BGE energy use
  • Child respiratory issues in public schools
  • HVAC and water outages in public schools
  • Focus on youth
    • Fund for youth programming
    • Parent engagement

Groups/Organizations that would act on this information

  • Baltimore City Public School System (BCPSS)
  • Baltimore Office of Sustainability
  • Baltimore Main Streets
  • BGE
  • Carey Institute/BES
  • Funders, such as the Annie E. Casey Foundation

Economic Growth and Development (Presentation)

Gaps and Opportunities

  • Employment by Race and Gender
  • Diversity of Business Owners
  • Economic Inclusion Indicators
  • Sharing Economy
  • Technology/Digital Divide

Topics/Indicators to Explore

  • Access to WiFi/Internet Connectivity/Digital Divide
  • How many people have bank accounts; By Race?
  • Checkcashing/Cash Economy vs. Credit-based purchasing
  • Mortgage origination; By Race?
  • CRA Funding by neighborhood
  • Tax credits/Incentives/Tax Increment Financing (TIF) investments in neighborhoods
  • Perceptions of crime
  • Type of Business mix/Storefront diversity
  • Commodity mix within stores
  • Purchasing Power of Residents
  • Living wage
  • Informal employment/Informal economy
  • Credit Scores/Alternative Credit Scores
  • Retail Leakage (money that residents spend in other neighborhoods/cities)
  • Transit Ridership at Bus stops/Transit stops

Indictors mentioned that are already in Vital Signs

Groups/Organizations that would act on this information

  • Baltimore City Office of Information Technology (BCIT)
  • Foundations like the Robert W. Deutsch Foundation
  • Baltimore Development Corporation (BDC)
  • MD Department of Commerce
  • Community Development Finance Institutions (CDFIs)
  • Community Development Corporations (CDCs)
  • World Trade Center Institute (WTCI)
  • Small Business Administration (SBA)
  • Greater Baltimore Committee (GBC)
  • Baltimore Metropolitan Council (BMC)
  • Baltimore Main Streets
  • Community Development Network (CDN) of MD

Crime, Safety and Justice (Presentation)

Gaps and Opportunities

  • Prosecution Rates
  • Initial vs. Final Disposition of Calls and Incidents
  • Crime Types by Neighborhood
  • Daytime Crime Rates

Topics/Indicators to Explore

  • Perceptions of safety
    • Social media, news
  • Response times to 911 calls for service
  • Victimization of youth/elderly
  • Crime incidents in proximity to…
    • Vacant properties
    • Bus stops and other transit hubs
    • Senior centers
  • Rates of solved/prosecuted crimes
  • Opioid overdoses
  • Narcotics arrests
  • Relationships to identified low response rate areas for the decennial Census
  • Community Informant Survey data
  • Social media data on reporting crime
  • Violent Death Reporting System – Maryland Department of Health
  • Density of crime within CSAs
  • Census Business Builder data
  • Daytime crime rates around businesses

Groups/Organizations that would act on this information

  • Mayor’s Violent Crime Reduction Taskforce
  • Community organizations
  • Baltimore City Health Department
  • Baltimore Police Department
  • Funders, such as Annie E. Casey Foundation
  • Baltimore Main Streets
  • Local and national university-based researchers