How Much Do You Love Where You Live?
Tallahassee, Fla. – November 24, 2008 – A new Gallup study of Tallahassee and 25 other U.S. communities explores the link between economic growth and residents’ loyalty and passion toward where they live. According to the “Soul of the Community” study, the number one quality that makes Tallahassee’s residents love where they live is social offerings (such as entertainment venues for people to meet each other). However, they said that the community could improve in this area. Residents find Tallahassee’s strengths to be aesthetics (such as physical beauty and green spaces) and education (kindergarten through college).
The first year of the Gallup study, funded by the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation, was conducted in Tallahassee and 25 other communities across the United States. “This is a new way of looking at how engaged residents create successful communities,” said Paula Ellis, vice president for strategic initiatives at Knight Foundation. “The data provide new insights to leaders focused on improving the long-term economic well-being of their communities beyond the immediate challenges of the financial crisis.”
Mike Pate, Knight Foundation program director for Tallahassee said: “The findings for Tallahassee show that social offerings is the most important driver of engagement for our residents. Knowing what connects residents to Tallahassee, what drives their community-citizen engagement, is especially valuable during the economic crisis as findings can help our leaders to focus resources to areas that will make Tallahassee a better place to live and work, and possibly have an impact on long-term economic growth.
“With two major universities, and as Florida’s state capital, we have many opportunities to create more social offerings for our residents,” added Pate. “The proposed arts and entertainment district in the Gaines Street corridor is one example. We have already provided funding to assist in the creation of the Arts Exchange in the Gaines Street corridor which will provide additional retail space, live/work affordable housing for artists, and an arts incubator for arts businesses and arts organizations.”
The Knight Creative Communities Initiative (KCCI) spun off of two other important programs that are at work in the community. Knight Foundation provided funding for this year’s inaugural Tallahassee Film Festival which attracted thousands of attendees. Sustainable Tallahassee, another outgrowth of KCCI, is a new non-profit in the community with a goal of providing networking opportunities leading to stimulating green industry in our community. All of these programs fit Gallup’s findings of the need for more social offerings.
The report is the first in a multi-year study of 26 communities where Knight Foundation founders, John S. and James L Knight, owned newspapers. The communities vary in population size, economic levels and how urban or rural they are. Gallup randomly surveyed a representative sample of nearly 14,000 adults from Feb.1 through April 27, 2008, by phone.
The study compared residents’ emotional connection to where they live to the GDP growth in the 26 communities over the past five years. The findings show a significant correlation. Over the coming years, the researchers will analyze the trends to prove whether emotional connection drives economic growth, or the other way around.
Within a smaller microcosm, such as a company, Gallup has been able to show that increasing employees’ emotional connection will indeed lead to improved financial performance of the company.
“This study gives us confirmation that the work Knight Foundation is doing to build a sense of place in Tallahassee is the right way for us to go. We are looking forward to continuing that process,” said Marjorie Turnbull, chair of the Tallahassee Community Advisory Committee for Knight Foundation.
Pate will be meeting with individuals and groups over the next several weeks to present the findings.
Gallup and Knight Foundation will conduct the second wave of the survey in spring 2009. The additional data will help show the impact of the economic crisis on how connected people feel to their communities.
Complete results of the Soul of the Community study are available online at www.soulofthecommunity.org.
Note to editors:
Media kits are available in the Soul of the Community Media Center at www.soulofthecommunity.org.
For interview opportunities, please contact Paul Wiseman at The Jeffrey Group at pwiseman@jeffreygroup.com or 305-860-1000 ext. 124, or Mike Pate at mpate@knightfoundation.org or 850-915-0258.
About Gallup
Gallup has studied human nature and behavior for more than 70 years. Gallup’s reputation for delivering relevant, timely, and visionary research on what people around the world think and feel is the cornerstone of the organization. Gallup employs many of the world’s leading scientists in management, economics, psychology, and sociology, and our consultants assist leaders in identifying and monitoring behavioral economic indicators worldwide. Gallup’s 2,000 professionals deliver services at client organizations, through the Web, at Gallup University’s campuses, and in 40 offices around the world.
The Gallup Poll has built its reputation on delivering relevant, timely, and visionary research on what people around the world think and feel. Gallup Poll consultants assist leaders to identify and monitor behavioral economic indicators worldwide.
About Knight Foundation
The John S. and James L. Knight Foundation promotes journalism excellence worldwide and invests in the vitality of communities in the United States where the Knight brothers once owned newspapers. Knight Foundation invests in ideas and projects that can lead to transformational change.
