This indicator is part of Community engagement.

Indicator description:                                                           

This indicator compares the trends in the number of recognized neighborhood associations to inactive associations. Neighborhood associations perform several different roles. Recognized associations receive information from the City on nearby development and perform certain functions when requests for zone changes, site development plans, and liquor licenses are made. Recognized associations must have an annual meeting, elect officers and file an annual report of activites with the City’s Office of Neighborhood Coordination. Active associations are also forums for official neighborhood beautification efforts and crime watches. Inactive associations have not complied with the meeting and reporting requirements, although they may still function on a neighborhood level for other common needs.

Why is this indicator relevant?

Neighborhood associations form the first rung of the ladder of participation in a community. They make it easier for individuals to participate in more complex processes managed by the City. Neighborhood associations help individuals band together to strengthen citizen participation efforts, hold institutions accountable for action, and communicate conditions that relate to other goals. Neighborhood associations help stablize neighborhoods and ensure that certain standards are maintained, increasing community pride. Many neighborhood associations work with the Albuquerque Police Department as official neighborhood block watch agents and in community policing partnerships.

Data Sources:
City of Albuquerque Planning Department, Office of Neighborhood Coordination; Albuquerque Police Department.

What can we tell from the data?

• More neighborhood associations are meeting the requirements to be designated an active association.
• The ratio of active to inactive associations is stable.

For Help in understanding this page, see Understanding Indicators.