The Boston Indicators Project

Guided by a diverse and cross-sectoral Leadership Group, the Boston Indicators Project offers new ways to understand Boston and its neighborhoods in a regional context. It aims to democratize access to information, foster civic discourse, and track goals and measures of progress across 10 sectors: Civic Health, Cultural Life and the Arts, the Economy, Education, the Environment, Housing, Public Health, Public Safety, Technology, and Transportation.

The Boston Foundation coordinates the Boston Indicators Project in partnership with the City of Boston/Boston Redevelopment Authority and the Metropolitan Area Planning Council. It relies on the expertise of hundreds of stakeholders, gathered in multiple convenings, to frame its conclusions, and draws data from the wealth of information and research generated by the region’s excellent public agencies, civic institutions, think tanks and community-based organizations. The Boston Foundation will release a biennial report with regular supplemental updates and outreach through the year 2030, Boston’s 400th anniversary.

Through its ongoing interactions with the broad civic community, the Project also works to develop a shared Civic Agenda, which reflects convenings involving thousands of participants over the life of the project—from school children and engaged residents to academic and community-based experts and policymakers. It is expressed for the first time in this year’s report. The Project also sponsors seminars to bring people together across the city and the region for dialogue on key challenges and opportunities.

The Boston Indicators Project released its first report, The Wisdom of Our Choices, at a Boston College Citizens Seminar in 2000. The second report, Creativity and Innovation: A Bridge to the Future, was released in early 2003, again at a Boston Citizens Seminar. This report, Thinking Globally/Acting Locally: A Regional Wake-Up Call, is the third in the biennial series. It also marks the 50th anniversary of the first Boston College Citizens Seminar.

All Boston Indicators Reports are available online as part of the Project’s interactive website, www.bostonindicators.org. The website provides data behind the charts and graphs included in the report, as well as exciting new features such as a Hub of Innovation, a data portal and a cultural resources survey, and includes links to other data-rich sites. It also posts new research on a regular basis. The website is a winner of an International Tech Museum Award for innovations that further equality.