The Livability Index: How Does SPI Stack Up?
by George Block, Editor, Island Matters
The Economist magazine recently published their annual "Livability Index" of the major cities in the world. South Padre Island was much too small to be on the list, but the method they used in analyzing the world's major cities gives us a thought-provoking tool to look at our tiny community.
The Economist used five (5) categories for each city. Underneath each category, they used several indicators. The five categories were:
Stability (25%)
Culture & Environment (25%)
Healthcare (20%)
Infrastructure (20%)
Education (10%)
Stability 25%
SPI would rank high in Stability. We are a peaceful bunch, but Randy Smith, as Police Chief, developed infrastructure (license plate readers on the causeway) and programs (Spring Break, inter-agency cooperative agreements) that made our island much safer.
The Economist rates communities on petty crime, violent crime, terror, military conflicts, and civil unrest. Although we are on the periphery of the drug corridor, the many agencies involved in interdiction have kept our island's citizens largely untouched.
Culture and Environment 25%
We would fall slightly lower here. Our beach, Laguna, and the near-constant breeze keeps our environment relatively stable and beautifully sub-tropical. However, we are lagging (possibly dangerously) behind in preparation for severe weather and climate change.
Our electrical distribution lines (the smaller and lower ones that bring power to our homes and businesses) are dangerously exposed to high winds. We need a generational view to putting them underground. It is expensive to do in one year, but foolish not to do over 20 years.
The same long view applies to drainage. There is no drainage solution if we are ever 4 feet deep in a hurricane tidal surge, but we are woefully unprepared for sub-maximal storms. The city's study was frightening to read and sending it to the Army Corps seemed like the easiest way to kill action.
We have no social or religious restrictions compared to the rest of the world. We are low in the availability of consumer goods, but so is every other small town in the world. "Retail follows rooftops." Apparently, the only consumer goods for which we have enough demand is t-shirts.
The index rates communities on three sports indicators. A town of 2,500 will not have any professional teams, but a thriving sports bar scene makes them available to anyone who wants to watch in a communal setting. We are a largely bikeable community with many residents biking, running, or walking frequently. With our older population, frailty is a significant public health issue. SPI has excellent participation in both condo-owned and commercial gyms.
Cultural availability is changing quickly on our island. The ABI is determined to make SPI an arts hub. Early indications are they might succeed. New businesses are putting down roots and the ABI is in its third year of resident art-business students.
The quality of El Paseo performances seems to improve every year from an already surprisingly high standard for a small town. All that we are missing is a real theater.
Transparency in government is where we would rate low. Elected officials shield themselves from direct interviews and create obstacles to the public release of documents. This is the nature of every government, but should never be accepted by voters, especially in a small community.
