Ever wonder how you might go about measuring a concept like progress? A group in Canada called GPI Atlantic is trying to do just that by developing what they call the Genuine Progress Index. They describe the index as “a new measure of sustainability, wellbeing and quality of life consisting of 22 social, economic and environmental components.” Among the variables covered in the index are some pretty complex factors like Human Freedom Index, Composite Livelihood Security Index, and Ecological Footprint Analysis.
While I’m not going to endorse the specific approach offered by this index I will say that the idea is great. We would all be better served by more attempts to measure the healthy development of our communities and society as a whole.
Comments