Highlights of Poll Findings

The Council for Investment in the New American City

To establish a baseline on public support for city reinvestment, the Council commissioned a nationwide telephone poll of 1,400 city and suburban residents on their attitudes about public and private initiatives to rebuild cities. Highlights of the poll findings include:

• Two-thirds (67%) of those polled support rebuilding cities and relying more on public transportation as a way to discourage over-development in the suburbs and reduce traffic congestion.

• Only 26% favor building new roads.

• Both city and suburban residents agree on this point: 68% of city residents and 66% of suburban dwellers said rebuilding cities and relying more on public transportation is the most effective way to solve traffic congestion and the impact of sprawl.

• Strong support by city and suburban dwellers -- especially among young women -- exists for public and private efforts to help people afford housing, improve public transportation and discourage over-development in the suburbs.

• Two-thirds (67%) said they support increasing public and private incentives to help families buy or rent in cities - 74% in the city; 62% in the suburbs. Eighty-two percent of women between 18 and 34 support such incentives.

• More than half (52%) support encouraging people to live in cities in order to discourage the over-development of suburban areas -- 59% of city residents and 44 percent of suburban residents.

• Seventy-seven percent support the use of tax dollars to help improve public transportation where they live - 81% of those living in the city and 73% of those living in suburbs.

• Men, making $35,000 - $75,000, are more likely to support encouraging people to live in the city (64%) and are more likely to support the use of tax dollars to help improve public transportation (91%).

• Another area of agreement between suburban and city residents is how they describe the best aspect of living in the suburbs. A "quiet/calm" environment was cited most often (23% by both city and suburban residents) as the best aspect of living in the suburbs.

• Surprisingly, a small number of both city and suburban respondents cited good schools or low crime as best aspects. Only 6% of city residents cited good schools, compared with 5% of suburban residents; nine percent of city residents cited low crime, compared with 13% of suburban residents.

• Seventy-two percent of the respondents said traffic was worse; 41% said commuting time was worse; 55% said access to public transportation had stayed the same or gotten worse in the past five years.

• More than half of the suburban residents (51%) and city residents (55%) said traffic, long commutes and little public transportation were the worst aspects of living in the suburbs.

• Not surprisingly, the poll found that a majority of respondents felt the availability of jobs had gotten better, while the cost of housing had gotten worse. Sixty percent said the availability of jobs has gotten better, while almost two-thirds (62%) say the cost of housing has gotten worse in the past five years - 59% of city residents and 66% of suburban residents.

• The housing cost finding also cuts across income levels, making the case for public and private initiatives to help make housing more affordable for not just the poor but moderate-income and middle class families as well. Sixty-three percent of those who said housing costs have gotten worse have incomes between $35,000 to $75,000; 57% has incomes under $35,000.

• The finding that more people in the suburbs than in the city feel that crime levels have been gotten worse challenges the traditional view that suburbs are more immune to crime and public safety concern. Thirty percent of suburban dwellers, compared with 23% of city residents, feel that crime levels have gotten worse.

• As further evidence that city residents are becoming more confident about where they live, 38% of city residents feel that crime levels have gotten better, compared with 22% of suburban residents.

• Additional findings of interest include strong support for helping public servants afford housing where they work. Seventy-four percent said affordable housing should be made available to public servants, such as teachers, fire fighters and police officers so they can live in communities where they work - 82% of city residents support such efforts; 67% of suburban residents.

• The common perception that suburban residents universally wish to avoid the city is challenged by the finding that one in eight suburban residents is either very likely or somewhat likely to move back to the city. Of those, 32% are men between the ages of 18-34, and 24% are men who make less than $35,000.

• An abundance of nearby shops, grocery stories, pharmacies and other services, such as dry cleaning, is ranked as extremely important by 69% of those who would be very or somewhat likely to consider a move into the city.

• A majority (59%) said financial housing incentives, such as downpayment assistance and tax credits would be extremely important when considering such a move. Again, a majority (62%) said availability of cultural events, entertainment and education opportunities would be extremely important. Forty-four percent said reduction in the time and the cost of commuting would be extremely important.

• Interestingly, 58% of city residents said they are not very or not at all likely to move to the suburbs. Of those, 65% own their home.

• Almost a third (32%) said that in the past five years, they have been spending more time in cities. Of those, 39% said they have been spending more time in cities because of work; 37% because of entertainment or cultural activities.

The poll, conducted by the Global Strategy Group for The Council for Investment in the New American City, measured attitudes of residents in seven cities: Atlanta, Boston, New Orleans, Phoenix, San Jose, St. Louis and Washington, D.C. About 66 percent were Caucasian; 19 percent African American, 6 percent Hispanic/Latino, and 5 percent Asian. The majority of the respondents earned incomes between $25,000 and $100,000. About a third were renters, and 65 percent, homeowners. More than half (54%) were married; 26 percent, single. The poll has a margin of error of 2.7 percent.

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