We have the data that shows Calgarians say it's so: the Centre City is safer, cleaner, accessible and a desirable place for Calgarians.
That's what we'll be hearing at a meeting today at the Glenbow Museum in the ConocoPhillips Theatre (open to the general public - for details click here). Members from the Centre City team, along with partners on the Clean to the Core and Centre City Safety Impact Team will release results from the first ever Centre City Citizen Perception Survey. In this telephone survey, a wide sampling of Calgarians (close to 1200) were asked about their perceptions of Safety, Cleanliness, Living, Visitation and Infrastructure in the Centre City.
Graham Gerylo is a Business and Policy Planner for Centre City Implementation. We caught up with him before today's public meeting to get his take on the survey results. When asked what results grabbed his attention, Gerylo said, "...the most interesting results were found in the answers about safety perceptions - approximately 9 in 10 Calgarians say they feel safe in the Centre City - and that they would feel safe alone during business hours." To bolster this sense of security, Calgary Police numbers show that crime in the Centre City has been steadily going down for the past three years. Gerylo also drew attention to the fact that 42% of Calgarians reported that they felt safety in the Centre City has improved over the last year.
Another impressive number that jumped out at Graham was the percentage of people who said they were "very likely" to relocate to our Centre City (nearly three percent). And he said that when you think of the fact that there are already some 34 thousand already living in the Centre City, and nearly 3 percent of our city's population is "very likely" to move here - that translates to over 30,000 people - a potential to nearly double the Centre City's current population. People WANT to move here, to be a part of this thriving, vibrant, approachable centre.
Finally, we asked Graham which areas the survey showed room for the most improvement. He said that Calgarians showed a high satisfaction level with roads and streets and that these also have a very high importance level for citizens. Translation: Calgarians use their streets and roads a LOT; by foot, car, bus and bike - you name it - and they want the City of Calgary to keep on top of it all.
So you know, the big thing we pulled from this survey is that Calgarians are seeing the results of the work being done in the Centre City. The City of Calgary and its Clean to the Core group and the Centre City Safety Impact Team along with Centre City staff are out there listening to what you have to say. And this survey has given them just the right amount of feedback to see they're taking the right approach and where to consider going next. The great late Jane Jacobs said in her The Death and Life of Great American Cities, "Cities have the capability of providing something for everybody, only because, and only when, they are created by everybody." So let's keep the dialogue going. Have a look at the Centre City Citizen Perception Survey highlights here and then let us know what you think.
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