Anne Corriston is Knight's program director for Aberdeen.
My first visit to Aberdeen was in January 2005. A few months later, I returned to participate in a community forum sponsored by Knight Foundation.
Business leaders, artists, teachers, people looking for work - they were there to help us create a vision for a better Aberdeen. I remember asking one man why he was there. "I'm not sure, I'm just hoping I can start to feel better about this place!" he exclaimed.
Gallup and Knight had not yet launched the Soul of the Community study then, but this man typified someone who was not emotionally attached to Aberdeen.
That was then. Today, a little more than four years later, I see people not only feeling better about Aberdeen, but eager to participate in making it better for others. The Aberdeen Area Diversity Committee welcomes new workers and residents. Absolutely Aberdeen is mobilizing people and organizations around harnessing broadband technology for improved economic growth and access to information.
The Soul of the Community study says there's a strong correlation between economic growth and community attachment. So it makes sense to look at what drives attachment. For Aberdeen, it's social offerings - places where people can meet up with others and feel welcome. Red Rooster II, anyone?
Being more welcoming to newcomers is another way Aberdeen can increase attachment. Remember, newcomers come in all forms. They're from other cultures, communities, and lifestyles.
What can we do to make Aberdeen the kind of place where residents feel connected and would recommend it to others? We've come far in four years - let's keep moving forward! Share your ideas by commenting on this post.
Tags: local perspectives
I like the questions this survey asks, however I am disappointed by the small sample size. The sample size is less than 1.5% of the micropolitan statistical area (405 respondents). In addition it is curious that all data in categories with less than 30 respondents is eliminated from the report. This leaves holes in the data especially when that could be I am also disappointed in the sample distribution, specifically in terms of years in the community and age of sample. 72% respondents have been in ABR 20+ yrs and over 65 percent of the respondents were over 55. This shows that the data is skewed toward the older, grounded citizens which leaves the data short of an accurate assessment of the community perceptions at all demographic levels. In summary the questions are good the sampling was poor which renders the data less valuable than it could be.