Asheville, NC Community Livability Report 2015 2955 Valmont Road Suite 300 Boulder, Colorado 80301 n-r-c.com • 303-444-7863 777 North Capitol Street NE Suite 500 Washington, DC 20002 icma.org • 800-745-8780 Contents About .............................................................................................. 1 Quality of Life in Asheville ................................................................ 2 Community Characteristics ............................................................... 3 Governance ..................................................................................... 5 Participation .................................................................................... 7 Special Topics.................................................................................. 9 Conclusions ................................................................................... 13 The National Citizen Survey™ © 2001-2015 National Research Center, Inc. The NCS™ is presented by NRC in collaboration with ICMA. NRC is a proud member of the AAPOR Transparency Initiative, providing clear disclosure of our sound and ethical survey research practices. About The National Citizen Survey™ (The NCS) report is about the “livability” of Asheville. The phrase “livable community” is used here to evoke a place that is not simply habitable, but that is desirable. It is not only where people do live, but where they want to live. Great communities are partnerships of the government, private sector, community-based organizations and residents, all geographically connected. The NCS captures residents’ opinions within the three pillars of a community (Community Characteristics, Governance and Participation) across eight central facets of community (Safety, Mobility, Natural Environment, Built Environment, Economy, Recreation and Wellness, Education and Enrichment and Community Engagement). Residents Private sector The Community Livability Report provides the opinions of a representative sample of 337 residents of the City of Asheville. The margin of error around any reported percentage is 5% for the entire sample. The full description of methods used to garner these opinions can be found in the Technical Appendices provided under separate cover. Communities are partnerships among... Government 1 Communitybased organizations Quality of Life in Asheville About four in five residents rated the quality of life in Asheville as excellent or good. This rating was similar to ratings in comparison communities across the nation (see Appendix B of the Technical Appendices provided under separate cover). Overall Quality of Life Excellent 34% Shown below are the eight facets of community. The color of each Poor 5% community facet summarizes how residents rated it across the three sections of the survey that represent the pillars of a community – Fair Community Characteristics, Governance and Participation. When most 14% ratings across the three pillars were higher than the benchmark, the color for that facet is the darkest shade; when most ratings were lower than the benchmark, the color is the lightest shade. A mix of ratings (higher and lower than the benchmark) results in a color between the extremes. Good 47% In addition to a summary of ratings, the image below includes one or more stars to indicate which community facets were the most important focus areas for the community. Residents identified Natural Environment and Economy as priorities for the Asheville community in the coming two years. Ratings across almost all facets were positive and similar to other communities. Mobility ratings tended to be lower than in other communities across the nation. This overview of the key aspects of community quality provides a quick summary of where residents see exceptionally strong performance and where performance offers the greatest opportunity for improvement. Linking quality to importance offers community members and leaders a view into the characteristics of the community that matter most and that seem to be working best. Details that support these findings are contained in the remainder of this Livability Report, starting with the ratings for Community Characteristics, Governance and Participation and ending with results for Asheville’s unique questions. Legend Higher than national benchmark Similar to national benchmark Lower than national benchmark Most important Natural Environment Mobility Education and Enrichment Built Environment Safety Recreation and Wellness Economy 2 Community Engagement The National Citizen Survey™ Community Characteristics What makes a community livable, attractive and a place where people want to be? Overall quality of community life represents the natural ambience, services and amenities that make for an attractive community. How residents rate their overall quality of life is an indicator of the overall health of a community. In the case of Asheville, 89% rated the City as an excellent or good place to live. Respondents’ ratings of Asheville as a place to live were similar to ratings in other communities across the nation. In addition to rating the City as a place to live, respondents rated several aspects of community quality including Asheville as a place to raise children and to retire, their neighborhood as a place to live, the overall image or reputation of Asheville and its overall appearance. These aspects were all rated positively by at least 7 in 10 residents. Ratings for the overall image or reputation of Asheville and for Asheville as a place to retire were higher than in comparison communities. Delving deeper into Community Characteristics, survey respondents rated over 40 features of the community within the eight facets of Community Livability. Many aspects were rated positively and were similar to ratings in other communities across the nation. Ratings of aspects of Economy were mixed. Ratings for Asheville’s vibrant downtown/commercial area, shopping opportunities and Asheville as a place to visit were higher than in comparison communities and were rated positively by three-quarters or more of respondents. However, ratings for cost of living, employment opportunities and Asheville as a place to work were lower than the national benchmarks and were rated positively by 36% of residents or fewer. Ratings for aspects of Mobility tended to be lower than the benchmark and only about 25% of respondents gave positive ratings to travel by bicycle, travel by public transportation and public parking in Asheville. All aspects of Place to Live Safety were rated positively by a majority of respondents and these ratings were similar to ratings in comparison communities. All aspects Excellent 47% of Recreation and Wellness, Education and Enrichment and Community Engagement were similar to or higher than the Poor benchmarks. 2% Fair 9% Good 42% Percent rating positively (e.g., excellent/good) Comparison to national benchmark Higher 82% 86% Overall image Neighborhood Similar Lower 78% 77% 73% Place to raise children Place to retire Overall appearance 3 The National Citizen Survey™ Figure 1: Aspects of Community Characteristics SAFETY Overall feeling of safety Safe in neighborhood Safe downtown/commercial area MOBILITY Overall ease of travel Comparison to national Paths and walking trails benchmark Ease of walking Higher Travel by bicycle Travel by public transportation Similar Travel by car Public parking Lower Traffic flow NATURAL ENVIRONMENT Overall natural environment Cleanliness Air quality BUILT ENVIRONMENT Overall built environment New development in Asheville Affordable quality housing Housing options Public places ECONOMY Overall economic health Vibrant downtown/commercial area Business and services Cost of living Shopping opportunities Employment opportunities Place to visit Place to work RECREATION AND WELLNESS Health and wellness Mental health care Preventive health services Health care Food Recreational opportunities Fitness opportunities EDUCATION AND ENRICHMENT Education and enrichment opportunities Religious or spiritual events and activities Cultural/arts/music activities Adult education K-12 education Child care/preschool COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT Social events and activities Neighborliness Openness and acceptance Opportunities to participate in community matters Opportunities to volunteer Percent rating positively (e.g., excellent/good, very/somewhat safe) 77% 94% 88% 71% 47% 49% 24% 26% 54% 26% 36% 83% 63% 65% 51% 55% 11% 26% 70% 50% 83% 72% 16% 75% 14% 93% 36% 84% 34% 62% 57% 65% 78% 73% 81% 86% 86% 76% 64% 38% 79% 69% 64% 78% 86% 4 Governance How well does the government of Asheville meet the needs and expectations of its residents? The overall quality of the services provided by Asheville as well as the manner in which these services are provided are a key component of how residents rate their quality of life. About 63% of Asheville’s residents rated the overall quality of City services as excellent or good; while only about 34% rated the Federal Government’s services as excellent or good. Both of these ratings were similar to the national benchmark comparisons. Survey respondents also rated various aspects of Asheville’s leadership and governance. These ratings tended to be similar to or lower than the national benchmarks. Ratings for the value of services for taxes paid to Asheville, treating all residents fairly and the overall customer service provided by City employees were lower than in comparison communities. Less than ½ of respondents gave positive ratings to the rest of these aspects; however these ratings were similar to ratings in comparison communities. Respondents evaluated over 30 individual services and amenities available in Asheville. All aspects of Natural Environment, Recreation and Wellness, Education and Enrichment and Community Engagement were similar to ratings in comparison communities. Most aspects of Safety were similar to the benchmarks; however ratings for police and crime prevention were lower than the benchmarks. Of the eight aspects of Mobility; five were lower than the benchmark and three were similar. Most aspects of Mobility were rated as excellent or good by less than half of Asheville’s residents. Aspects of Built Environment also tended to be a mix of positive and negative and ranged from 30% excellent or good (code enforcement) to 66% excellent or good (sewer services). Overall Quality of City Services Good 55% Excellent 8% Poor 6% Fair 31% Percent rating positively (e.g., excellent/good) Comparison to national benchmark Higher Similar Lower 62% 32% Value of services for taxes paid 39% Overall direction 42% 35% 37% 38% Welcoming Confidence Acting in Being honest Treating all citizen in City best interest residents involvement government of Asheville fairly 5 34% 31% Customer service Services provided by Federal Government The National Citizen Survey™ Figure 2: Aspects of Governance Percent rating positively (e.g., excellent/good) SAFETY Police 60% Fire 91% Ambulance/EMS Comparison to national benchmark Higher Similar Lower 89% Crime prevention 49% Fire prevention 66% Animal control 50% Emergency preparedness 60% MOBILITY Traffic enforcement 47% Street repair 20% Street cleaning 42% Street lighting 60% Snow removal 56% Sidewalk maintenance 35% Traffic signal timing 42% Bus or transit services 33% NATURAL ENVIRONMENT Garbage collection 83% Recycling 78% Yard waste pick-up 65% Drinking water 69% Natural areas preservation 47% Open space 50% BUILT ENVIRONMENT Storm drainage 51% Sewer services 66% Power utility 63% Utility billing 54% Land use, planning and zoning 31% Code enforcement 30% Cable television 41% ECONOMY Economic development 39% RECREATION AND WELLNESS City parks 81% Recreation programs 74% Recreation centers 69% Health services 67% EDUCATION AND ENRICHMENT Public libraries 84% Special events 56% COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT Public information 67% 6 Participation Are the residents of Asheville connected to the community and each other? An engaged community harnesses its most valuable resource, its residents. The connections and trust among residents, government, businesses and other organizations help to create a sense of community; a shared sense of membership, belonging and history. About two-thirds of Asheville’s residents rated the overall sense of community as excellent or good and this rating was similar to the national benchmark. About 4 in 5 respondents indicated they were likely to recommend living in Asheville and were likely to remain in Asheville; these ratings were also similar to ratings in comparison communities. The survey included over 30 activities and behaviors for which respondents indicated how often they participated in or performed each, if at all. Most reported rates of Participation were similar to reported rates in comparison communities. Only about 17% of Asheville’s residents reported that they had used public transportation instead of driving in the last 12 months; this rating was lower than in other communities across the nation. More Asheville residents reported that they work within the City (65%), that they campaigned for an issue, cause or candidate (41%), volunteered (60%) or participated in a club (41%) than residents in comparison communities. Sense of Community Excellent 20% Good 46% Poor 8% Fair 26% Comparison to national benchmark Percent rating positively (e.g., very/somewhat likely, yes) Higher 80% Similar Lower 83% 38% Recommend Asheville 7 Remain in Asheville Contacted Asheville employees The National Citizen Survey™ Figure 3: Aspects of Participation Percent rating positively (e.g., yes, more than once a month, always/sometimes) SAFETY Stocked supplies for an emergency 31% Did NOT report a crime 79% Was NOT the victim of a crime Comparison to national MOBILITY benchmark Used public transportation instead of driving Higher Carpooled instead of driving alone Similar Lower 91% 17% 53% Walked or biked instead of driving 60% NATURAL ENVIRONMENT Conserved water 86% Made home more energy efficient 79% Recycled at home 94% BUILT ENVIRONMENT Did NOT observe a code violation 45% NOT under housing cost stress 68% ECONOMY Purchased goods or services in Asheville 98% Economy will have positive impact on income 31% Work in Asheville 66% RECREATION AND WELLNESS Used Asheville recreation centers 60% Visited a City park 86% Ate 5 portions of fruits and vegetables 88% Participated in moderate or vigorous physical activity 91% In very good to excellent health 71% EDUCATION AND ENRICHMENT Used Asheville public libraries 71% Participated in religious or spiritual activities 50% Attended a City-sponsored event 61% COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT Campaigned for an issue, cause or candidate Contacted Asheville elected officials 41% 23% Volunteered 60% Participated in a club 41% Talked to or visited with neighbors 93% Done a favor for a neighbor Attended a local public meeting Watched a local public meeting Read or watched local news Voted in local elections 8 89% 24% 26% 85% 87% Special Topics The City of Asheville included four questions of special interest on The NCS. The first question asked residents to rate the importance of several potential investments for the City of Asheville. All 10 items were rated as essential or very important by a majority of respondents. The items that were ranked as the most important were environmental protection/sustainability, sidewalks, bikeways and greenways, affordable housing and public safety. Figure 4: Importance of Potential City Investments Please indicate how important, if at all, each of the following investments is for the City of Asheville: Essential Very important Environmental protection/ sustainability 49% Sidewalks, bikeways and greenways 49% Affordable housing 51% Public safety 43% Improving roads 34% Public transportation 36% Food security 36% Recreation centers/youth programs Maintenance of public buildings 39% 36% 84% 33% 84% 41% 84% 48% 44% 22% 11% 50% 9 36% 72% 50% 72% 61% 88% 81% 80% The National Citizen Survey™ The second custom question asked residents their frequency of watching local meetings, City video or reading City of Asheville Government news in various mediums. Fifty to 82% responded “not at all” to the different available ways of watching or reading about City news. About half of the respondents reported that they had visited the City of Asheville website once a month or more in the last 12 months. Less than 25% reported that they had watched a local public meeting online, read City government news through an e-newsletter, Read City government news on the City blog or watched a City video on YouTube. Figure 5: Rates of Accessing Local Government News In the last 12 months, about how many times, if at all, have you or other household members: 2 times a week or more Visited a City of Asheville government website 4% 2-4 times a month 15% Once a month 50% 31% Read City of Asheville government news through social media 9% 16% Watched a local public meeting on television 5% 19% 55% 19% 74% 2% Watched a local public meeting online 2% 79% 17% 2% Ready City of Asheville government news through an e-newsletter 7% 80% 11% 2% Read City of Asheville government news on the City blog 5% 80% 13% 2% Watched a City of Asheville video on 3% YouTube 82% 13% 1% 10 Not at all The National Citizen Survey™ The third question asked residents to rate the importance of several aspects of the City’s identity when planning future development. Almost all rated Asheville as a place to work and as a place to live as essential or very important. Further, a strong majority rated a place with a variety of good transportation items, a place for entertainment and community events and a place where social services are available as essential or very important. Fewer than half of the respondents rate a place to shop or a place to worship as essential or very important to the City’s identity and character. Figure 6: Importance of Aspects of Future Development In planning future development, how important if at all, are each of the following to the City of Asheville’s identity and character? Essential Very important A place to work 66% A place to live 66% A place with a variety of good transportation options 35% A place for entertainment and community events A place to shop A place to worship 31% 14% 17% 26% 42% 26% A place where social services are available 29% 30% 23% 44% 41% 11 78% 47% 73% 41% 72% 94% 92% The National Citizen Survey™ Asheville chose to include an open-ended question on the survey (full responses to this question are provided in the Open-Ended Question Report under separate cover). The most commonly cited themes by residents had to do with economic development, growth, affordable housing and public transportation. Figure 7: Open-Ended Question What do you think is the single biggest issue facing Asheville over the next three to five year? Economic development issues/jobs/cost of living 29% Growth/development/planning and zoning/environmental issues 29% Affordable housing 16% Public transportation/infrastructure/traffic/parking Other Crime/public safety/gangs/homeless/drugs/cleanliness 12 14% 7% 4% Conclusions Asheville residents continue to enjoy a high quality of life. At least 80% residents rated their overall quality of life and Asheville as a place to live as excellent or good. About four in five were likely to recommend Asheville as a place to live to someone who asks and planned to remain in Asheville for the next five years. Asheville’s overall appearance and overall image and neighborhoods as a place to live also received high ratings by about four in five residents. Most of the aspects that aid in community livability were rated positively and remained stable from 2008 to 2015 (see the Trends over Time report under separate cover). Asheville’s Natural Environment is a strong feature of the community. Asheville’s Natural Environment was identified as a top priority for the community and was an area that received favorable from residents. Asheville’s residents rated all aspects of the Natural Environment similarly to comparison communities. Ratings for Asheville’s overall natural environment and for air quality increased from 2008 to 2015. When asked to rate the importance of potential investments the City of Asheville should make, environmental protection and sustainability was rated as the most important by residents. Many also cited environmental issues when asked to write in their own words about the single biggest issue facing Asheville in the next three to five years. Asheville’s Economy is a top priority. Economy was rated was also rated as a top priority for the community. Ratings within the facet of Economy tended to be a mix of positive and negative. The highest rated aspects of Economy were Asheville as a place to visit (93% excellent or good), Asheville’s vibrant downtown/commercial area (83% excellent or good) and shopping opportunities (75%). These ratings were all higher than ratings in comparison communities. Ratings for employment opportunities (14%), cost of living (16%) and Asheville as a place to work (36%) were lower than the national benchmarks. Most respondents worked in Asheville and almost all purchased goods or services in Asheville. Economy ratings remained stable from 2008 to 2015. When asked about the importance of several aspects of future development, Asheville as a place to work was rated as the most important by residents. Further, when asked to describe the single biggest issue facing Asheville a commonly mentioned theme was economic development, jobs and cost of living. 13