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<br /> Twin Cities residents report a strong attachment to their hometowns, which is good for
<br /> our economic health.
<br /> By CHRIS HAVENS1, Star Tribune
<br /> III,,,,,,,,,ast u Ipi ate„ III iir,i.,,f Ibe r 15, 2010 11:54 III,,,,,)II
<br /> Twin Cities residents say they love where they live, an attachment researchers say can fuel big economic
<br /> is
<br /> rewards.
<br /> "It really does matter," said is,vice president of strategic initiatives forte Knight Foundation,
<br /> is -year, $2.4 million survey of 6 U.S. cities that was released Monday. "There's
<br /> correlation residents and economic is o ."
<br /> The good s for Minnesota?In both i Cities and Duluth, residents have a closer emotional
<br /> connection to their communities than folks elsewhere.
<br /> The Soul of the Community o , conducted by the Knight Foundation all , surveyed 3,000
<br /> people from 2008 to 2010 to gauge their passion for laces they live.
<br /> It's a riff on vio s research all s done that shows employee engagement in si ss can
<br /> improve productivity and profitability.
<br /> The researchers say it's a sound economic is strate o make sure a city has amenities that will not only
<br /> retain people, but also lure new talent and businesses." is not t at j o s don't matter, but other parts do,,"
<br /> said Katherine Loflin, lead consultant for the survey.Researchers are trying to understand what makes
<br /> places important to people.
<br /> Here in the Twin Cities metro,the survey said, people care most about:
<br /> • Social offerings, such as arts and cultural events.
<br /> • Openness,which is how welcoming communities are to different types of people.
<br /> •Aesthetics, such as physical beauty and access to parks and trails.
<br /> Perceptions of the local economy, leadership and safety were deemed to be less important. Duluth was the
<br /> other Minnesota city included in the study, and results there mirrored those of the Twin Cities.
<br /> Compared with Charlotte,N.C.,Palm Beach, Fla., and San Jose, Calif., Twin Cities residents have a
<br /> closer attachment to where they live.
<br /> The cities that were chosen for the study had newspapers once owned by the Knight brothers,John S. and
<br /> James L., for whom the foundation is named.
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