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tiple ones. Chapter 7 discusses the methodological aspects of composite
indices. This chapter reviews examples of how organizations designed
new indicators in an easy-to-access format on topics of interest to a broad
group of organizations and the media. By publishing the actual data (not
only a narrative analysis), these organizations successfully framed their
issue area and drew the attention of advocates, policymakers, and individual
households.
The best known example is Walk Score, an indicator ranging from 0
to 100 that measures walkability based on walking routes to destinations
such as grocery stores, schools, parks, restaurants, and retail. The score’s
visibility has spread as realtor sites like Zillow incorporate it into home
listings, government agencies require its use in grant applications, and
cities use it to plan investments (US Department of Housing and Urban
Development 2010a; Walk Score n.d.). The company has also developed
Transit Score and Bike Score and continues to create new analytics for
rating neighborhoods. The methodology is proprietary, but there is a process
for researchers to access Walk Score data that has enabled research
about its validity (Duncan et al. 2011; Carr, Dunsiger, Marcus 2011).
Another example is the influential Housing + Transportation Affordability
Index introduced in 2006 by the Center for Neighborhood
Technology, mentioned below as a pioneer in Neighborhood Early
Warning Systems (Center for Transit-Oriented Development and Center
for Neighborhood Technology 2006). The Housing + Transportation
Affordability Index reflects both housing and transportation costs
and sets the acceptable limits for these costs at 45 percent of household
income. The index has contributed to an increasing awareness of a
more comprehensive approach to affordability and a better picture of
economic hardship for households (Urban Land Institute 2006; Hickey
et al. 2012). The index also is consistent with views of advocates countering
policies that promote sprawling development, which may offer
lower-cost housing if transportation is not considered. The index is calculated
for block groups in over 330 metropolitan areas in the United
States based on housing cost data from the ACS and a model capturing
three components of transportation behavior: auto ownership, auto
use, and transit. Using the Housing + Transportation Index as a model,
HUD’s Office of Sustainable Housing and Communities, in partnership
with the Department of Transportation, released its own Location
Affordability Index with visualization tools in 2013 (US Department of
Housing and Urban Development 2013a).