This Research Study was conducted to demonstrate and measure social wellbeing in Michigan coastal communities resulting from investments in local water-related projects and resource development that can lead to community vibrancy and to provide a model for communities throughout Michigan and the Great Lakes Basin. The primary goal of the study was to develop and implement an online Community Vibrancy Dashboard that would assist planners, decision makers, business leaders, and residents in defining, reviewing, and tracking community vibrancy. The study was supported by the Michigan Office of the Great Lakes under the 2016 Michigan Water Strategy and funded through the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative.

Four coastal communities in Michigan – Alpena, Manistee, Port Huron, and Sault Ste. Marie – participated in the study. These communities were selected because of their long economic and cultural histories with the Great Lakes, all are similar in size, and all have conducted relatively recent water-related resource restoration projects and were willing to participate.

This study demonstrates how community engagement can result in measurable social indicators of community vibrancy that focus on the use of and connectedness to water resources in the Great Lakes Region. The study resulted in an innovative online visualization toolkit that provides opportunities for public review of local water projects and their resultant contributions to community vibrancy. The Community Vibrancy Dashboard provides timely and visible feedback to local leaders, planners, and decision makers on past and future projects and a means of tracking progress in meeting community vibrancy goals.

进行这项研究是为了展示和衡量密歇根沿海社区的社会福祉，这些社区因对当地与水有关的项目和资源开发的投资而产生，这些项目和资源开发可以带来社区活力，并为整个密歇根和五大湖盆地的社区提供一个模型。该研究的主要目标是开发和实施在线社区活力仪表板，以帮助规划者、决策者、商业领袖和居民定义、审查和跟踪社区活力。根据 2016 年密歇根水战略，该研究得到了密歇根五大湖区办公室的支持，并通过五大湖恢复计划获得资助。

密歇根州的四个沿海社区——Alpena、Manistee、Port Huron 和 Sault Ste。玛丽——参与了这项研究。之所以选择这些社区，是因为它们与五大湖有着悠久的经济文化历史，规模都差不多，而且都开展了较新的水资源修复项目，并愿意参与。

本研究展示了社区参与如何产生可衡量的社区活力社会指标，这些指标侧重于大湖区水资源的使用和连通性。该研究产生了一个创新的在线可视化工具包，为公众审查当地水利项目及其对社区活力的贡献提供了机会。社区活力仪表板向当地领导、规划者和决策者提供有关过去和未来项目的及时和可见的反馈，以及跟踪实现社区活力目标进展情况的方法。