Glossary of Terms
ACTIVE LIVING
A way of life in which physical, social, mental, emotional, and spiritual activities are valued and are integrated into daily living.
ANNUAL PROGRESS REPORT
A report on district or neighborhood progress submitted every year to PSE to maintain certification.
ASSET MAP
Asset mapping is a process whereby a community’s assets are specifically identified, described, and often visualized geographically on a map. Asset mapping is the process by which information and data is gathered regarding the needs of a community. Assessments are conducted to determine specified needs and strengths which leads to the development of a Just Community roadmap.
BACKBONE ORGANIZATION
An organization dedicated to coordinating and managing district or neighborhood activities. The backbone organization may be an entity that is separate and distinct from the district or neighborhood decision-making body.
BASELINE ASSESSMENT
A comprehensive, quantitative appraisal of a district or neighborhood’s current performance characteristics as measured by indicators.
CARBON DIOXIDE (CO2)
A naturally occurring gas, as well as a byproduct of burning fossil fuels and biomass, or of land-use changes and other industrial processes. Carbon dioxide is the principal human-caused greenhouse gas that affects the Earth’s radiative balance and is the reference gas against which other greenhouse gases are measured.
CARBON NEUTRALITY
An alternative term for net zero carbon emissions, carbon neutrality refers to balancing the total measurable carbon dioxide emissions of a district or neighborhood’s energy production, energy consumption, and waste production with an equivalent amount of carbon sequestration and offsets, thereby equating to a net total of zero carbon dioxide emissions.
CERTIFICATION
Confirmation that a product, project or effort meets defined criteria of a standard and relevant requirements are fulfilled.
CLIMATE ACTION
Actions to eliminate greenhouse gas emissions and reduce global warming.
CLIMATE JUSTICE
Climate Justice recognizes the disproportionate impacts of climate change on low-income communities and communities of color around the world, the people, and places least responsible for the problem. It seeks solutions that address the root causes of climate change and in doing so, simultaneously address a broad range of social, racial, and environmental injustices.
CLIMATE RESILIENCE
The capacity for a community to successfully cope with and manage the impacts of climate change while preventing those impacts from growing worse.
COLLABORATIVE GOVERNANCE
A set of processes and structures used by communities to address problems that cannot be easily solved by one organization or sector alone.
COLLECTIVE IMPACT
A governing framework for facilitating and achieving change using a structured approach that brings cross-sector organizations together in a collaborative way to focus on a common agenda and produce long-lasting change.
COMMITMENTS
Critically important, overarching goals that every community seeking Just Communities Certification is required to meet.
COMMUNITY NETWORK
A defined network of community-level stakeholders engaged in advising the Just Communities governing body.
DECLARATION OF COLLABORATION
A nonbinding agreement that establishes or designates a backbone organization, defines organizational roles and responsibilities, establishes, or designates a decision-making body with decision-making procedures, and describes resources that participating stakeholders will provide to the organization.
ECOLOGICAL RESTORATION
The process of recreating, initiating, or accelerating the recovery of an ecosystem that has been disturbed. Disturbances are environmental changes that alter ecosystem structure and function.
ENDORSEMENT
PSE’s approval of each Just Communities implementation phases. Certification is awarded when all three phases have been endorsed.
ENVIRONMENTAL JUSTICE
The fair treatment and meaningful involvement of all people regardless of race, color, national origin, or income, with respect to the development, implementation, and enforcement of environmental laws, regulations, and policies.
EQUITABLE DEVELOPMENT
Development that anticipates and protects against displacement, incorporates all segments of the community in the decision-making process throughout all phases of a project, improves quality of life for current residents and surrounding communities, and helps remediate the impacts of past injustices and prevent future inequities.
EQUITY
The just and fair allocation of power, resources, and opportunities.
GOVERNING BODY
The official decision-making body and governance model of the district or neighborhood, as defined in the Declaration of Collaboration, made up of organizational and community stakeholders.
GREENHOUSE GASES
Carbon dioxide, methane, nitrous oxide, hydrofluorocarbons, perfluorocarbons, and sulfur hexafluoride.
INCLUSION
The action or state of including or of being included within a group or structure. More than simply diversity and numerical representation, inclusion involves authentic and empowered participation and a true sense of belonging.
INDICATORS
A set of quantitative measurements that characterize district or neighborhood performance relative to the Commitment and Commitment objectives.
JUST COMMUNITIES
A guidance framework to promote equitable and sustainable development practices at the district and neighborhood-scale, with a focus on helping communities advance Just Communities principles, goals, and objectives.
JUST COMMUNITIES CERTIFIED
The process of certifying that a district or neighborhood meets the endorsement requirements as called out in Chapter 5.
JUSTICE
The ethical, philosophical idea that people are to be treated impartially, fairly, properly, and reasonably by the law and by arbiters of the law.
NATIVE VEGETATION
Refers to a species of plant occurring within the state boundaries prior to European contact, according to the best available scientific and historical documentation.
NEIGHBORHOOD
A subarea of a community with a distinct identity, character, and/or planning area boundary; equivalent to district.
OBJECTIVE
A desired outcome that contributes to achievement of each Commitment.
POLICY
A law, regulatory measure, courses of action, and funding priority concerning a given topic promulgated by a governmental entity or its representatives.
PROGRAM
An ongoing service or activity that implements a Roadmap strategy. A program may execute multiple subprojects.
PROJECT
A discrete effort, such as a capital improvement, that implements a Roadmap strategy.
PUBLIC SPACES
Publicly accessible streets, plazas, parks, and comparable outdoor areas, and public facilities such as schools, libraries, and indoor recreation complexes.
RACIAL EQUITY
Process of eliminating racial disparities to ensure race can no longer be used to predict life outcomes.
RACIAL JUSTICE
The systematic fair treatment of people of all races that results in equitable opportunities and outcomes for everyone.
REGENERATIVE DEVELOPMENT
The use of resources to improve society’s wellbeing in a way that builds the capacity of the support systems needed for future growth.
REGISTRY
The online portal and database maintained by PSE to record registered districts and neighborhoods and their certification work products.
ROADMAP
The district or neighborhood blueprint or action plan prepared by the governing body to characterize context, describe baseline conditions, set future performance targets, formulate strategies to achieve the targets, identify funding for the strategies, and establish a schedule for achieving the targets.
STAKEHOLDERS
Organizations and individuals based in, or serving a neighborhood, including, but not limited to resident leaders, public agencies, schools, community development corporations, major property owners and investors, civic groups, and faith-based organizations committed to developing an inclusive long term investment strategy to advance neighborhood-wide equitable and regenerative development.
STANDARD
A set of guidelines and criteria against which a project can be judged. Supporting the governance of standards and certifications is the International Standards Organization (ISO).
STRATEGY
A Roadmap implementation measure that is characterized as either a project, program, or policy intervention.
UPWARD MOBILITY
Upward mobility comprises three core principles: economic success, power, and autonomy, and being valued in community.