They broke up into 10 topic groups - economy, education, health, environment and so on. Each group brainstormed a long, lively list of possible measurements. After investing over 2500 volunteer hours in the project, they finally settled on 99 indicators of Seattle's sustainability. Percentage of employment concentrated in the top 10 employers.
Wild salmon runs in local streams.
County population and growth rate. Average travel time from selected starting points to selected destinations. Percentage of the population that gardens, and that votes in primary elections. Tons of solid waste generated, and recycled, per person. Volunteers presented their list of 99 sustainability indicators to the public in a dramatic reading interspersed with stories, quotes and poems.