Grand Forks got a huge boost in confidence and prestige this week by ranking second-highest out of a group of 26 U.S. cities in a large survey gauging community attachment.
The purpose of the study done by Gallup and the Knight Foundation was to show the correlation between communities with strong community attachment (CA) scores -- essentially loyalty and passion for the community -- and those with the highest economic growth.
More research is to follow that organizers hope will show even more conclusively such loyalty and passion will actually create stronger economic growth in a community.
The findings are interesting and probably surprising to some. Who knew the good people of Grand Forks were as engaged and committed to their community as they are?
Posts in ‘Grand Forks’
Grand Forks a good example for us to follow - WinnipegFreePress.com
Survey: Grand Forks, ND, residents more attached to community - PrairieBizMag.com
Grand Forks area-residents have grown more emotionally attached to their community in the past year, a new report from the Knight Foundation found.
Perceptions about the beauty of the area’s parks, its nightlife, the quality of its elected officials, participation in elections and even that people care about one another all improved.
This was true for all demographics, though the biggest improvements came out of the 18 and younger and 18-to-34 groups. The former’s community attachment score rose 6.2 percent and the latter’s score rose 15.2 percent.
Home is where the heart is, and the money too - Globeandmail.com
Politicians and policy makers sweating over how to jump-start economic growth may want to start studying a new equation emerging Tuesday from U.S. research: L + P = $.
Translated, it means that communities able to inspire loyalty and passion among residents are also likely to see a swell in their financial outlook.
For Michael Brown, the third-term mayor of Grand Forks, N.D., this is old news. He has spent the past nine years wooing the tough-to-please demographic of young professionals with everything from his Star Spangled All American Fireworks Chili recipe (available online, next to his policy priorities) to a farmers market, 35 kilometres of bike paths and the creation of a professional development network to help them do just that. Besides a “younger, hipper feel about town,” this has yielded him the second-strongest attachment ratings reported by residents across a range of 26 U.S. communities polled in a new Gallup/Knight Foundation study.
Thoughts on the findings in Grand Forks
Anne Corriston is Knight's program director for Grand Forks.
Before I came to work for Knight Foundation, I had never been to Grand Forks. Come to think of it, I had never been to North Dakota.
But I was soon captivated by its gracious people. They're unfailingly modest, except when it comes to their beloved Sioux hockey team. Then their community pride glows. Almost everyone has a memory of a game-day experience to share. A grandmotherly lady in line told me about attending games at the Palace 40 years ago, where there was no indoor heat. "We took our snowmobile to get there and back, and during halftime went home to warm up," she shared. She's missed hardly a game in those 40 years.
Yes, there's a lot to love about Grand Forks, and its residents are starting to talk about it with pride. Grand Forks is flying high this year. Out of 26 Knight communities, it is reporting the second-highest level of community attachment after Bradenton, FL.
Folks are starting to talk about the good life in Grand Forks - the beauty of the greenway along the Red River, the high quality of schools, the strength of the University of North Dakota, and the safety they feel every day.
With some concentrated effort, Grand Forks can get even better. The Soul of the Community survey identified areas where Grand Forks can increase its community attachment even more. Being more open to newcomers and providing more social offerings are two areas residents identified as important.
How can we improve openness and social offerings in Grand Forks? I'd love to hear from you. Please comment on this blog post and share your ideas!
