CENTER FOR COLORADO POLICY STUDIES
AUGUST 2001
Table 2. Sample Environmental and Land Use Quality Indicators
Indicator
Toxic releases in lbs, annually
Solid waste generated per capita per day
Solid waste recycled per capita per day
Good air quality days
Days not meeting natl ozone standards
Open space/park acreage per 10001
% living near urban open space
Newly platted acreage as % of total
undeveloped land approved for conversion
Water bodies meeting state standards (%)
Daily per capita water consumption (gal)
% of land surface impervious to water
Gasoline consumption per capita, annual
Colo Spgs Austin
(El Paso Cty) (Travis Cty)
750,000
20
60.3
Seattle
(Duval Cty)
(King Cty)
325
750,000
8.1
4.0
320
243,296
8.6
328
0
27.6
Jacksonville
13.02
87
1.06
127
623
45.5
194
59
49.6
607
92.5
32
530
For data sources and more discussion of local indicator projects and their uses see
Greenwood, Daphne. 2001.“Using Local Indicators to Measure Quality of Life: A Preliminary
Look at the Pikes Peak Region,” Working Paper #106, Center for Colorado Policy Studies,
University of Colorado- Colorado Springs. http://web.uccs.edu/ccps
1
The Austin figure is for a three county area but includes only publicly owned parks, recreation areas, wildlife
preserves and hunting grounds.