www.clearplan2030.org

20.5%

0.7%

0.5%

75.0%

1.3%

0.1% 1.9% Race

Age

The following information displays the demographics of the people who completed the survey. The survey was posted online at www.clearplan2030.org/surveys and paper copies were distributed at the first round of County Conversation meetings (Spring of 2013), through the Elementary Schools across the region, and at other various meetings. The racial demographics and age distribution matches nicely with the regional demographic make up. The region is composed of 74.6% Caucasians and 21.8% African-Americans.

25%

< 19 20 — 24 25 — 34 35 — 44 45 — 54 55 — 59 60 — 64 65 — 74 75 — 84

85 +

African American

American Indian or Alaska Native

Asian

Caucasian

Hispanic

Native Hawaiian or Other Pacific Islander

Two or More Races

The work that provided the basis for this publication was supported by funding under an award by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban

Development. The Substance and findings of the work are dedicated to the public. The author and publisher are solely responsible for the accuracy

of the statements and interpretations contained in this publication. Such interpretations do not necessarily reflect the views of the Government.

44%

34%

3%

15%

4%

The CLEAR Plan 2030 (Community Livability for the East Alabama Region) is a planning project working to improve the livability of all residents in the 10-County East Alabama region the East Alabama Regional Planning and Development Commission serves. As a part of this planning process, a Livability Survey was conducted. Over 5,400 surveys were received between November 1st, 2012 and May 13, 2013, which exceeded the survey goal of 5,000 surveys. This equates to 1% of the Region’s 470,000 residents. The following pages display the survey results. Keep in mind over 44% of respondents said they think of their community as their neighborhood. Therefore, some of these answers are personal opinions and may be neighborhood specific.

Neighborhood

City

Zip Code

County

Region

Summer 2013

Legend

Don’t Know Most/All Some None/Few

Affordable

health care

Accessible

health care

A safe &

secure place

to live

Healthy

environment

Healthy food

Exercise &

recreation

promoting a

healthy

lifestyle

Livable communities have… Affordable healthcare

Affordable options for transporting older adults & low-income families to health care services

More wellness programs to promote preventative care & education Accessible healthcare

Increasing Medicare enrollment for seniors Declining response times for emergency medical personnel

A safe and secure place to live Neighborhood watch programs Shelters and assistance for abused spouses and children

Healthy environment Local waterways and air that are safe from pollution Streets, sidewalks, and parks that are free from trash and excessive

industrial noise Healthy food

Healthy food options available in all schools and neighborhoods Programs to inspect local restaurants and grocery stores for food

safety Exercise & recreation promoting a healthy environment

Walkable streets and public spaces for activity Local businesses and insurers that reward healthy residents with

savings and discounts

Survey says...

Survey respondents answered how many residents in their community have access to the following:

70%

60%

50%

40%

30%

20%

10%

Quality Education

Employment Opportunities

Healthy Environment

Affordable Housing

Economic Development

Improved Infrastructure (streets, water, sewer, parks, etc)

Transportation Choices

Arts & Culture

I I

Least important Most important

The final portion of the survey asked respondents to rank the elements of a livable community in importance according to their own thoughts. As you can see from the graphic, Quality Education and Employment Opportunities were the most important elements, followed by Healthy Environment and Affordable Housing, Economic Development, and Improved Infrastructure. Rounding out the pack was Transportation Choices and Arts & Culture. The last question optionally asked people to comment on what would make their community a more livable place. The graphic below displays the most common words utilized in the responses. The words are weighted according to use, so the larger words were used more often. Therefore, of the 2,047 responses received to this question, Community was used the most – 479 times – and Jobs a close second with 431 responses. Created using wordle.net

Employment

opportunities

Attractive

destinations and

services

High quality

education

Life long learning

opportunities

Legend

Don’t Know Most/All Some None/Few

Livable communities have… Employment opportunities

Good paying jobs accessible to all Outreach programs to connect retirees and job seekers of all ages

to new opportunities Attractive destinations and services

Amenities attractive to new businesses and brain power Access to high-speed internet and new technologies

High quality education The same level of public education quality and access for all

residents across age, race, and class Growing educational attainment levels (more people who continue

education beyond high school and community college) Life long learning opportunities

Opportunities for all ages to purse higher education and certifications

Opportunities for all ages to learn new technical skills, financial literacy, English as a Second Language (ESL), healthy eating and cooking practices

Survey says...

Survey respondents answered how many residents in their community have access to the following:

45%

40%

35%

30%

25%

20%

15%

10%

5%

Affordable housing

Quality housing

Public gathering space

Legend

Don’t Know Most/All Some None/Few

Livable communities have… Affordable housing

Residents spend less than 30% of their income on housing A variety of housing choices available for all incomes– including

rental and subsidized housing Quality housing

Home maintenance and repair assistance programs Programs for advising seniors on housing options and modification

services as they age Homes, yards, and residential public spaces that are well

maintained Public gathering spaces

Areas where people can come together — parks, civic centers, religious institutions.

Survey says...

Survey respondents answered how many residents in their community have access to the following:

50%

45%

40%

35%

30%

25%

20%

15%

10%

5%

Legend

Don’t Know Most/All Some None/Few

A variety of

transportation

options

Affordable

transportation

options

Accessible

transportation

options

Regional

transportation

coordination

Well

maintained

roads

Livable communities have… A variety of transportation options

Commuter buses and vans, car and ride share programs, and alternative transit

Rural and urban bike paths and footbridges with public bike racks Affordable transportation options

Discount passes for low-income families, students, and seniors Increasing ridership on public transit and participation in carpooling

Accessible transportation options Transit options for persons with restricted mobility Infrastructure improvements (wide sidewalks, benches, good

lighting, increased time limits at crosswalk signals) that support safe use by pedestrians and persons who are mobility impaired

Regional transportation coordination State, County, and city governments coordinating with each other Neighborhoods that contain grocery stores and gathering spots,

saving the time and cost of daily travel for routine purchases Well maintained roads

Roadways and bridges that are safe and repaired in a timely manner Public and private stakeholders coordinating the cost and

maintenance of transportation infrastructure

Survey says...

Survey respondents answered how many residents in their community have access to the following:

45%

40%

35%

30%

25%

20%

15%

10%

5%

Legend

Don’t Know Most/All Some None/Few

Represents the opinions

of residents

Seeks participation from

residents in the early

stages of projects

Collaborates with

leadership in other

communities for the

benefit of residents

Livable communities have… Community leaders who

Represents the opinions of residents Seek participation from residents in the early stages of projects Collaborate with leadership in other communities for the benefit of

residents

Survey says...

Survey respondents answered questions regarding leadership in their community:

45%

40%

35%

30%

25%

20%

15%

10%

5%