For Community Attachment, It's Love and Then Money

A new study shows that three qualities - social offerings, openness, and beauty - strengthen residents' level of community attachment more than other urban variables, and that passion for place may be a leading indicator of local economic growth.

November 30, 2010, 12pm PST | Emily Laetz

According to a new three-year Gallup study of 26 cities across the United States, growth in local GDP can be tied to peoples' love and passion for their communities. The findings also suggest that social offerings, openness, and beauty are significantly more important factors in fostering community attachment than are perceptions of the local economy or safety issues.

" 'This study is important because its findings about emotional attachment to place point to a new perspective that we encourage leaders to consider; it is especially valuable as we aim to strengthen our communities during this tough economic time,' said Paula Ellis, Knight Foundation's vice president for strategic initiatives."

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Passion for community related to economic growth

Published on Monday, November 29, 2010 in New Urban Network