Residents of Ann Arbor think rather highly of their community, according to a mail survey by National Citizen Surveys.
About 3,000 surveys were mailed to city residents in January. Of those 1,100 people responded with 36 percent of respondents describing the overall quality of life as “excellent” and 54 percent calling it “good.” Another 9 percent used the word “fair.” In regards to safety, about 79 percent of residents said they felt “very” or “somewhat” safe from violent crime. City services, such as safety and transportation, were called “excellent” by 20 percent of respondents and another 62 percent described them as “good.”
Ann Arbor residents in the surveys listed alternate transportation, recycling, well-equipped and maintained neighborhood parks and preservation of historic districts as priorities. Issues such as affordable quality housing, street repair, parking and traffic congestion were listed as challenges in the community. City staff is developing a strategy to address the results of this survey and improve the quality of life in the city.
CNN/Money Magazine named Ann Arbor one of the top 25 U.S. cities to live in 2006. Forbes Magazine ranked Ann Arbor, population 114,000, as the third smartest city in the U.S. last year.
Results from the surveys will be presented periodically on CTN channel 16 in April and May and are accessible at a2gov.org. For information, call (734) 996-3020.
Source: City of Ann Arbor
Enjoy this story?
Sign up for free solutions-based reporting in your inbox each week.