Lafayette scores well on community survey

February 3, 2012

The Journal & Courier

By Max Showalter

On a scale of 1 to 10, Greater Lafayette scores fairly well -- but has plenty of room for improvement -- when measured against peer communities on seven indexes that evaluate assets and amenities that can attract and retain people.

Results of a "Community of Choice" survey conducted during the past six months by Next Generation Consulting were released Friday by Greater Lafayette Commerce.

"Quality of life -- everybody knows it when you see it. People have a hard time explaining what it is," said Rebecca Ryan, founder of Next Generation Consulting. "Jobs are important to retain and attract people. But jobs don't keep them.

"People under 40 want more out of Greater Lafayette. Without beefing up the areas of interest to young professionals, they are a flight risk to the region."

The company interviewed more than 1,500 residents and nonresidents in the Lafayette metropolitan statistical area, which includes Tippecanoe, Benton and Carroll counties. It conducted focus groups and facilitated an intergenerational strategy session with more than 50 professionals ranging in age from 20 to 80.

"We've gained some key insights that will guide us as we continue our quest to create a community of choice," said Mike Piggott, a member of the Community of Choice Committee, operating under the Chamber Council of Greater Lafayette Commerce.

"They discovered in the community people who said, 'We want to be here because it's a great place for this or that.' How are we going to make this good community great?"

The quality-of-life indexes measured vitality, including air and water quality and green space; earning, which covers employment opportunities and jobs in the knowledge-based sector; and social capital, which accounts for issues that include diversity and crime.

Other areas covered by the survey:

• Learning -- educational opportunities and expenditures, education levels and access.

• Cost of lifestyle -- affordability for students and young professionals and variables in the cost of living.

• After hours -- places to go and things to do after work and on weekends.

• Around town -- the region's "walkability," airport activity, commute times and use of mass transit.

The Lafayette MSA was measured against Ann Arbor, Mich.; Asheville, N.C.; Bloomington, Ind.; Eugene, Ore.; Iowa City, Iowa; Madison, Wis.; and Raleigh-Durham-Chapel Hill, N.C.

"It's good to see Lafayette is betting on its future," said Paige Sharp, arts education and regional services director with Tippecanoe Arts Federation. She attended Friday's survey results announcement.

"I was surprised by the (young professionals) and students that said it was that strong a perception that activities weren't here. That opportunities weren't here. But with knowledge there is power."

Among the seven-metric survey, the Lafayette MSA scores ranged from a high of 7 for cost of lifestyle to a low of 3 for vitality, after hours and around town. Its average score was 4.57, which compares with a 5 for the seven peer MSAs.

"This is a community retirees love. But the younger you are, the more the community comes up short," Ryan said. "They're not leaving the area with a positive impression. The challenge is what can we do to make young people feel more included."

Next step in the evaluation work funded by private and corporate contributions will be taken in May. That's when Next Generation Consulting will conduct what Ryan described as the "dream phase" of the study -- searching for ways to boost scores that are lagging in comparison to peer communities.

"We need to attract younger talent that wants to stay and grow in the community and grow the college," said David Bathe, chancellor of Ivy Tech Community College in Lafayette, which provided assistance with the survey. "This tells us what we need to do to build a future for Greater Lafayette and the surrounding communities."