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Knight Soul of the Community:
What Attaches People to Where They Live and Why it Matters
A New Approach to Improving Communities
Based on Gallup Research
Soul of the Community
• 3-year, 26-city Gallup study
• Funded by Knight Foundation
• Understand resident attachment to place
Soul of the Community
Has captured the attention and interest of: • News Media • National Organizations • Philanthropy • Community leaders and elected officials • Universities • Knight communities • Non-Knight communities
Survey Areas
A New Perspective
• Economic & community vitality • Competitive advantage • Talent recruitment and retention • Resident attachment to community
What’s Attachment?
The psychological connection of loyalty and passion residents have with the community in which they live.
Key Attachment Drivers
#1 Social Offerings
#2 Openness
#3 Aesthetics
Benefits to Increased Attachment
• Potential increase to local GDP • Less population reduction, more growth • Optimized talent pool • Higher resident satisfaction • Friendlier, more livable communities
Attachment to Place Matters in Knight Communities
Local GDP Growth by Levels of Community Attachment
Correlation of Attachment and GDP Growth (02-06) = .431
It Might Surprise
• Economy/jobs not a main driver of attachment
• Attachment in communities remained unchanged during recession
• What attaches people differs very little from place to place
Strengths- Weaknesses Map
National
Strengths- Weaknesses Map
Performance (Mean Rating)
Impo
rtanc
e
(C
orre
latio
n W
ith A
ttach
men
t)
Detroit (MSA)
Putting SOTC to Work
Each community has critical opportunities and they have strengths
• Critical Opportunities – need attention • Strengths – valuable assets
Final Take Away
Knowing how to improve community
vitality and economies by affecting key
drivers gives leadership a powerful tool to
create transformational change.
Knight’s Role
1. Create more informed and engaged communities.
2. Inspire renewed resident engagement.
3. Spark new debates.
