BR Area Foundation use city stats to increase quality of life

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By Rachael Lundy

The Baton Rouge Area Foundation has undergone yet another city project – improving the quality of life in Baton Rouge. This Foundation’s main purpose is to develop projects that enhance living in Baton Rouge as a whole, often times developing plans that are later handed over to the city upon successful implementation.

One such project hoped to improve the quality of life of Baton Rouge citizens is Baton Rouge City Stats. Baton Rouge City Stats’ scheme uses indicators to determine what community improvements should be made in order for Baton Rouge citizens to be more satisfied and prideful of this city.

After holding several community meetings, open to the Baton Rouge public, universal concerns were addressed by those attendees, which included concerns of public education, traffic congestion, crime rates as well as several other issues that raise alarm among these Baton Rouge natives.

After taking into consideration these concerns or “indicators,” Baton Rouge City Stats will use statistics based on these indicators to “gauge crime, education, arts, the environment and other qualities that fall under the quality of life banner,” according to the Baton Rouge Area Foundation Web site. “Museum visits can measure how well the arts are doing; murder rates can indicate the level of violent crime; voter turnout can indicate the civic health of community; drive time to work can reveal traffic levels.”

In order to properly assess and implement these statistics, BRAF has contracted with Jacksonville Community Council, Inc., to help Baton Rouge use these statistics to improve this city. Jacksonville Community Council, Inc. is a council that has previously implemented these techniques, in a nearly bankrupt Jacksonville, Florida, and turned Jacksonville into a thriving, successful community with a booming downtown area. It is this Foundation’s hope that this Council can have the same effects here in Baton Rouge, while it’s undergoing much development.

Not only can these indicators be used by BRAF, but the Foundation anticipates that the knowledge these indicators bring to this city will be used by local government, businesses and other organizations as well, in order to largely improve the quality of the city.

The indicators will be released at the beginning of the 2009 year.

Originally Published: Issue 689 - June 18, 2008

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