A popular term for describing our cities emerged in the 1980s: quality of life. Recent efforts to measure quality of life have responded to the growing interest of citizens, business leaders, and government officials, but these measurements have emphasized comparisons among places. Although these measurements are of value for citizens and businesses who are comparison-shopping prospective new locations, locally committed citizens and organizations have different needs. Thus an alternative, community-oriented measurement process is required. The advice of local residents is essential for both selecting and weighting components for measurement. This community orientation also places emphasis upon the trends over time in different components of a community's quality of life. Closer attention to the local context of quality of life leads to a richer understanding of the subject.
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