When it comes to revitalizing urban areas, city and suburban residents think alike, according to a new poll that challenges the notion that city dwellers and suburbanites have little in common and often are at odds with each other over housing, transportation and community development issues.
The poll found two-thirds of both groups believe rebuilding cities and relying more on public transportation are the most effective ways to slow sprawl and ease traffic woes. And 67 percent said they support public and private initiatives to help families buy or rent in cities.
The poll measured attitudes in seven major cities. It was conducted for the Council for Investment in the New American City, a partnership between the U.S. Conference of Mayors and the Mortgage Bankers Association.
The Council’s formation marks the first time mayors and the country’s top housing finance leaders have come together in an official capacity to address development issues.
“This survey clearly shows that the public is overwhelmingly in support of using creative public-private funding to improve the quality of life in our communities,” said Minneapolis Mayor Sharon-Sayles-Belton.
Pollsters talked to both city and suburban inhabitants in Atlanta, Boston, New Orleans, Phoenix, San Jose, St. Louis and Washington, D.C. Here are some of their other findings:
About four out of five -- 81 percent of the city dwellers and 77 percent of suburbanites - - support the use of tax dollars to help improve public transportation..
Nearly three-quarters of both groups agree that affordable housing should be made available to teachers, firefighters, police officers and other public servants so they can live where they work.
The two constituencies tended to differ somewhat on the idea of encouraging people to live in cities in order to discourage over-development in suburbia. Three our of five city residents liked the idea but less than half of the suburbanites did. Indeed, only one in eight suburbanites said they had any interest in moving back to the city.
Overall, people tended to believe their places are safer than they once where. But perhaps more telling, more suburban residents thought crime was becoming worse where they lived than did denizens of the city -- 30 percent vs. 23 percent.
At the same time, though, 72 percent said that city traffic had worsened, and 55 percent said access to public transportation has failed to improve or actually become worse over the last five years.
Published: November 3, 2000
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