The town conducted a “community livability” survey last summer, which provided data that helped support the passing of the new Rate of Development bylaw. The bylaw, passed at the November town meeting, restricts developers to building only 25 percent of their permitted housing units in a given year. The survey data will also help with future decision-making within the town.
“This study allowed us to gather a better understanding of how residents perceive Ashland and the services they receive from town government,” Assistant Town Manager Jenn Ball, who oversaw the survey project, explained.
Collecting Data
“Livability” is the sum of the factors that add up to a community’s quality of life—including the built and natural environments, economic prosperity, social stability and equity, educational opportunity, and cultural, entertainment and recreation possibilities. (Partners for a Livable Community, www.livable.org/about-us/what-is-livability)
Ball used the National Citizen Survey™ (NCS), a standardized tool implemented in 500 communities across the country, to gather residents’ opinions on a variety of community issues. The company conducting the survey mailed postcards and sent reminders to 2,500 randomly-selected Ashland households with instructions to complete a 45-minute survey online. There was a higher-than-average response rate with 874 residents participating.
“I believe this great response rate was due to having a very engaged community that values the importance of their voices being heard,” Ball explained. “We’ve collected an incredible amount of information and insight, and this data has already begun to inform and guide our decisions as we plan for the future.”
The survey captured residents’ opinions within three pillars of a community (Community Characteristics, Governance and Participation) across eight central facets of community (Safety, Mobility, Natural Environment, Built Environment, Economy, Recreation and Wellness, Education and Enrichment and Community Engagement).
Key Findings
Most Ashland citizens rated their quality of life positively and consider the town an “excellent” or a “good place” to live. Safety was identified as an important area of focus in the coming years, and many aspects of safety were rated positively. The economy was also cited as an important area of focus in the next two years.
Residents were shown to have a high rate of contact with town employees and they tended to rate those interactions favorably, a contact rate that was higher than the national benchmark.
“I’ve been hearing similar themes in my time here, and this new data gives us more control about what we are doing and where we are heading as a community,” Town Manager Mike Herbert said. “This information is really valuable. It will help further inform our strategic plan and serve as a guide for goal setting by our board of selectmen and planning board.”
The study also revealed that many residents rely on the town website as a major source of information. “Based on this finding, we are identifying new ways to enhance online communication,” Ball added.
Both Herbert and Ball noted that this data closely aligned with statements many residents have voiced at town meetings, gatherings of the board of selectmen and other community forums. Herbert plans to have the survey conducted every two to three years and tweak the town’s strategic plan as needed.
To read the full NCS community livability report, visit the town website and click the Town Manager section or copy and paste the following URL into your browser: http://www.ashlandmass.com/DocumentCenter/Home/View/1771.