They reflect collective values and inform collective decisions. The idea of citizens choosing their own indicators is something new under the sun - something intensely democratic. The indicators for Sustainable South Florida will be the product of a creative community dialogue about our common future. As a community, now and in the future, we face many difficult decisions.
Indicators are bits of information that reflect the status of large systems.
For example, the Dow Jones Industrial average is an indicator of the health of the stock market. It doesn't measure every stock, but it does measure a representative sample. Trends that sample closely match trends in the stock market as a whole. Indicators are like the gauges and dials of an aircraft's instrument panel. By designing them carefully, watching them closely, and interpreting them wisely, we know the status of our flight and can make good decisions about where to go.