About the Dashboard

About the dashboard

The Equinox Project is a nonpartisan policy initiative that inspires, informs and engages the public and decision-makers in crafting better solutions to regional challenges. Rather than focusing on just one issue, Equinox focuses on the intersecting issues that together shape the regional quality of life.

Equinox specializes in:

• Tracking key environmental and economic indicators through our Regional Quality of Life Dashboard
• Communicating data and policy research to inform the public and influence decision-maker

Originating in 2009 in the San Diego region, Equinox developed as a credible source for balanced public policy research and analysis. Although the San Diego region is still our main project area, Equinox is broadening its reach to other local governments and regions in California and beyond.

The first San Diego Regional Quality of Life Dashboard was released in 2010 to shine a spotlight on questions that truly matter to San Diegans. Using environmental and economic indicators, the dashboard measures and benchmarks trends throughout the region tracking a central theme: Is the quality of life improving?

Drawing on strong relationships with nonprofit organizations, government agencies and the business community, we can provide a balanced snapshot of the region's well-being using credible data, clear metrics and ongoing benchmarks. The dashboard tracks our region's progress on critical, interlinking quality-of-life issues and provides examples of where things are working and ideas for how we can improve.

The Dashboard aims to call attention to equity as a part of the story, as we can't fully discuss the quality of life if we aren't thinking about our region's population holistically. Equity is both the fair and just distribution of societal benefits and burdens and the ability of underserved communities to influence decisions in a way that addresses their needs and concerns.

The Dashboard is the research and projects being done by the Dashboard's home, the University of San Diego (USD). As the standard bearer for an engaged, contemporary Catholic university, USD has identified six interconnected pathways that will help USD achieve its 2024 vision, including the Care for Our Common Home Pathway. This pathway demonstrates care for all creation and has become more critical as USD strives to become a leader in sustainability in all its aspects (environmental, social justice and economic benefits). By its very nature, this pathway is designed to provide opportunities for faculty, students, staff and administrators to address the world's greatest challenges. The Dashboard leverages USD student and faculty research in measuring and benchmarking the region's quality of life trends.

About the region

Boxed in by the nation's second-largest urban area, the world's busiest international border and the vastness of the Pacific Ocean and the Sonoran Desert, the San Diego region faces considerable stress in its efforts to maintain a high quality of life. Environmentally, we have tremendous biodiversity, climate zones varying from beaches to mountain tops and settings ranging from compact, inner city parks to open farmland. Economically, we cover the full range of the American experience and struggle to maintain our prosperity and share in our wealth. Only by measuring, tracking and benchmarking where our region's been, where it is now and where it needs to go in the future can we hope to successfully manage, improve and balance our future quality of life – for all.

What makes our region unique

• San Diego is the fifth largest county in the nation and the second largest county in California.
• Our current population is around 3.3 million people and estimates predict we will grow to more than 4 million residents by 2050.
• Beyond our residents, we host 35 million visitors per year who spend $10.8 billion and come for San Diego's beautiful weather, beaches and fun!
• The San Diego region also is among the most biologically rich counties in the nation, according to The Nature Conservancy.
• It is culturally diverse as well, sitting on the US border with Mexico, no single race or ethnic group comprises more than 50 percent of San Diego's total population.

About the border region

The U.S.-Mexico Border spans 2000 miles connecting San Diego to Brownsville and Tijuana to Matamoros. The border region is a unique place that connects families, communities and economies. It is bi-lingual and bi-cultural, and according to the U.S.-Mexico Border Philanthropy Partnership, the border region is projected to increase its population by more than 25 million people in the coming decades. The political line that divides the State of California and Baja California creates unique opportunities and challenges for our region and its citizen's quality of life. The two regions are inextricably connected when it comes to the environment and economy. For example, the San Ysidro Port of Entry is the busiest land port of entry in the western hemisphere with close to 15 million northbound vehicles processed in 2019. With high traffic comes increased vehicle idling times and as a result increased air pollution.

Over the past 10 years, the Quality of Life Dashboard has focused primarily on the San Diego region and presented a few data indicators under the Border Region indicator. In 2019, we have integrated the border data into more indicator sections such as unemployment, traffic and water quality to provide a binational context.