Community Vitality

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Vital communities are those in which residents work together to achieve a balance of positive social, economic and environmental outcomes

OSU Rural Studies and Extension Service faculty have worked with three rural Oregon communities to arrive at community-specific definitions of vitality and indicators. The documents below are products of these efforts, and outline how each community defined vitality and their current level of vitality. These efforts would not have been possible without the support of community members, community organizations, and the Ford Family Foundation.

Vernonia Vital Indicator Project

Full 2013 Report

Vitality Summary

Tillamook Vital Indicator Project

Full 2014 Report

Vitality Summary (2014)

Project Presentation (2014)

Full 2009 Report

Vitality Summary (2009)

Project presentation (2009)

Wallowa Vital Indicator Project

Full 2009 Report

Vitality Summary

Project presentation

More information is available here.

More Examples of Community Vitality Publications:

Federal Forest Policy and Community Vitality in the Pacific Northwest: How Did the Northwest Forest Plan Affect Population, Wealth and Income in Rural Communities? Yong Chen and Bruce Weber, July 2013. RSP # 13-01.

2000 Baseline Assessment of Rural Community Vitality. Lena Etuk, October 2012. RSP # 12-01.

Assessing Community Capacity in Rural America: Some Lessons from Two Rural Observatories. Alexander Marre, Bruce Weber, August 2007. RSP # 07-02.

A Guide to Oregon Community Indicators: Social, Economic and Environmental. Nick Beleiciks and Bruce Weber, August 2006. RSP # 06-04.