Determining Quality

Policymakers must utilize information gathered from quality-of-life indicators.
Following the release of the 2010 U.S. Census information, the Metropolitan Philadelphia Indicators Project, which collects and organizes unbiased census information for the city and surrounding suburbs, will update its database.

David Elesh, a sociology professor and the director of Temple’s Social Science Data Library, told The Temple News the idea of the project was to create “a neutral database, as opposed to a database that was aligned with one policy prospective or another,” that policymakers in governmental and non-governmental areas could refer to [“City initiative compiles nonpartisan database,” Page 3].

The MPIP developed 14 different areas to measure the quality of life because it was something no one had previously done, Elesh said.

Local and regional policymakers, as well as other governmental or non-governmental employees, should keep an eye out for the release of the MPIP’s updated database and pay close attention to its results.

The suburbs on the outskirts of Philadelphia are often associated with a higher quality of life. However, statistical findings reflected the contrary, providing information that overturns a “gross overgeneralization,” Elesh said. The MPIP found that some areas of the suburbs – such as Bucks, Chester, Delaware and Montgomery counties, as well as parts of New Jersey – are more depressed than parts of Philadelphia and that there are wealthy parts of the city.

Considering the burden of economic woes, MPIP is at the forefront in determining which areas of the region, whether urban or suburban, need the most relief, which is why policymakers should not overlook MPIP’s findings.