Miami, Fla. - MD
The information in our study covers the Miami-Miami Beach-Kendall, Fla., Metropolitan Division.
In each community, the Soul of the Community Study identified factors that emotionally bond residents to where they live. Some of these community characteristics were rated highly by residents, and are therefore community strengths while others were rated lower, making them opportunities for improvement. This information can provide communities a roadmap for increasing residents’ emotional attachment to where they live, which the study found has a significant relationship to economic vitality.
In the Miami area, openness (how welcoming a place is), social offerings (fun places to gather) and aesthetics (an area’s physical beauty and green spaces) are the most important factors emotionally connecting residents to where they live.
In 2009, Miami saw a significant increase in residents’ passion and loyalty for their community. The increase was largest amongst African-Americans, those living in lower-income, urban areas, the study found.
The ratings for openness, social offerings and aesthetics – the main drivers of attachment – remained steady from 2008-09. That means that something else happening locally and not examined by the study is influencing the big jump in the loyalty and passion Miamians have for the area in 2009.
Social offerings, aesthetics and education continue to be seen as community strengths. Residents continue to rate the area’s nightlife highest among the community’s social offerings. Residents also continue to rate highly the area’s natural beauty.
Residents, however, rated the education systems significantly lower in 2009, due to a drop in perceptions of local colleges and universities, which still rated higher than K-12 public schools. Openness was seen as an area needing improvement. Residents rated the Miami area as most welcoming to seniors and least welcoming to college graduates.
Residents who feel a strong emotional connection to the area are most likely older, retired, urban-dwelling, renting, less-educated and mid- to high-income residents. Those least likely to have a strong emotional connection are young, single, full-time employed, new, and lower-income residents.
