The Polis Center works with its partners to define, measure,
and improve community health, well-being, and resiliency.

 

Are We Ready to Help Older Adults Age in Place?

How many older adults in Central Indiana are likely to need help if to remain community dwelling? Who is available to help older adults who want to remain in the community? What is the likelihood of unmet need?

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Polis Center Experts in Disaster Resilience

The Polis Center’s expertise in neighborhood level community information differentiates it, bringing a holistic perspective to best identify improvements. It looks beyond the physical infrastructure elements of mitigation by bearing in mind a region’s vulnerable populations, social weaknesses and services, social determinants of health, and more when preparing a community’s MHMP.

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Equity in Criminal Prosecutions: Analyzing Case Filings from the Marion County Prosecutor’s Office

The Kheprw Institute and The Polis Center are partnering to better understand the criminal justice system in Marion County and investigate potential disparities. Black defendants are significantly overrepresented in case filings compared to the Black share of the Marion County population. Over half of all cases filed by MCPO are against Black defendants while Black adults make up just 27% of the Marion County population.

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Academic Standardized Test Scores for the Hearing Aid Assistance Program of Indiana (HAAPI) Participants and Applicants

Hear Indiana is partnering with the Polis Center to investigate educational outcomes for deaf or hard of hearing (DHH) children in Indiana who use hearing aids and communicate through spoken language.

The findings provide evidence that DHH children who use hearing aids and communicate through spoken language can excel academically.

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SAVI Talks: Greenspace Assessment for Marion County

Greenspace is an important component of many cities, serving to improve quality of life. Greenspaces provide significant physical and mental health benefits as well as help minimize the impact of climate change. On April 20, 9-11 a.m., during our SAVI Talks forum, we demonstrated a new greenspace index for SAVI that assesses greenspace need in Marion County. We illustrated the areas which would benefit most from targeted greenspace development to help improve the communities we live in. Report will be available soon.

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Featured Projects and Maps

Flood risk assessment and protection plans

With climate change concerns and the impact of extreme weather conditions on communities, it is important that Indiana residents know that work is constantly ongoing throughout the state to minimize future damage and loss. The Polis Center at IUPUI—a leader in the disaster resiliency industry nationally—is involved in this effort in a major way, working closely with many Indiana counties, the Indiana Department of Homeland Security (IDHS), the Indiana Department of Natural Resources (IDNR), and the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA).

Floods, tornadoes, severe storms, and earthquakes are among the natural hazard risks in Indiana. Flooding has the highest level of risk in the state. Polis calculates that a 100-year flood could damage 57,000 buildings in the state. Damages to these buildings could exceed $5 billion statewide. The Indiana Climate Change Impacts Assessment estimates that from 1895 to 2016, the state has seen an increase in its annual average precipitation from 3.3″ in the northeast portion of the state to almost 7″ in the southern portion of the state. Continued increases in rainfall will lead to additional flooding issues in the future.

Equity in Criminal Prosecutions: Analyzing Case Filings from the Marion County Prosecutor’s Office

The Kheprw Institute and The Polis Center are partnering to better understand the criminal justice system in Marion County and investigate potential disparities. Black defendants are significantly overrepresented in case filings compared to the Black share of the Marion County population. Over half of all cases filed by MCPO are against Black defendants while Black adults make up just 27% of the Marion County population.