M. Crane & Associates, Inc.
ABOUT US
M. Crane & Associates, Inc. is an Austin, Texas based consulting firm with a 25 year history of conducting market and
opinion research, guiding marketing and branding research and strategy, and facilitating strategic direction and change for organizations and collaborations.
The company founder, Marie Crane, Ph.D. University of Michigan, was trained and taught at the world renown Survey Research Center. In addition to her consulting practice, Dr. Crane has been a professor at the University of Texas and has served in leadership roles in more than a dozen national and community-based not for profit organizations.
BACKGROUND
To support the development of a new Downtown Austin Vision, a robust Community Engagement effort was undertaken. The full scope of the Community Engagement includes focus groups, executive interviews with community leaders, a variety of community workshops, and a community survey. The entirety of the engagement was intentionally designed to incorporate a range of approaches, each with distinct and complementary objectives, strengths, and limitations.
PURPOSE
The purpose of the Downtown Austin Community Survey was to gain an understanding of a very large number Central Texas adult residents’ perspectives about downtown. The survey was designed to capture residents’ assessments of downtown today, their usage patterns, and their ideas about changes that would make downtown better in the future.
KEY SURVEY FINDINGS
OVERALL, DOWNTOWN IS VIEWED FAVORABLY
Broadly speaking, respondents hold quite favorable opinions about downtown. The vast majority (70%) say they either love downtown (22%) or like it a lot (48%). In contrast, a small minority (only 10%) reported that they dislike downtown. The characteristics that respondents consider the particular strengths of downtown are that it’s the heart of the city. It’s fun, thriving, and offers lots of interesting places to go and things to do. And it’s a good place for live music. Respondents consider downtown to be essential to Austin’s character. They are proud of Austin’s downtown and consider it an essential place for taking out of town visitors.
BUT A FEW ASPECTS ARE VIEWED RATHER UNFAVORABLY
Despite the prevailing positive sentiment, respondents give downtown relatively low marks for affordability, being family friendly, and being “a place for everybody.” They also give downtown relatively low marks for night time safety and as a place to shop.
IMPROVEMENTS COULD POSITIVELY IMPACT DOWNTOWN’S FUTURE
Respondents want to retain the positive aspects of downtown and address current challenges. When asked about future needs, they call for improvements to downtown mobility and solutions to the complex challenges of homelessness. They seek assurance that growth and prosperity will not altogether displace affordable pleasures. They want to retain and expand green spaces and seek lively, welcoming, and engaging experiences in the public realm. They want to protect and enhance downtown Austin’s distinctive and authentic character – ensuring that it will remain a one of a kind place that is welcoming to all. They want to continue to claim and be part of this “heart of the city.”
APPROACH
To facilitate widespread participation, a computer assisted self-administered online (opt in) survey was conducted.
* PUBLICITY. The Downtown AustinAlliance publicizedandpromoted participation in the survey. In addition to contactingchurches and other community groupsdirectly,ads were placed in various newspapers includingAhora Si, andadvertising campaigns were run with Cap Metro and Univision. Several local news outlets covered the engagement process in print,broadcast,and online, including Community Impact, Austin Chronicle, the AustinAmerican-Statesman,Spectrum News,KWKT,KLBJ and KXAN. Additionally, social media postsandads in English and Spanish played a large part in promotion of the surveyand other events.
+ METHODOLOGY
The guidelines for the methodology were as follows. The survey was intended to:
• Be accessible online by computer and smart phone
• Offer an engaging user experience that is visually interesting, clear, and easy to complete
• Be short, requiring, on average, between 5 and 8 minutes to complete
• Be available in both English and in Spanish
• Be widely publicized to enhance participation*
• Be accessible for a 4-week period from late September until late October, 2017
• Include a mix of closed-ended and open-ended questions
• Gather input from at least 2,000 residents of the Central Texas area
Each of these objectives was met.
A note about methodological limitations. Opt-in surveys in which respondents proactivelyparticipateat their own discretion and convenience havesomeadvantagesandsome limitations compared to other survey methods. The limitations ofopt-in surveys include the potentialself-selectionbias that may result in surveysamples that arenot representative of the larger population. For these reasons, even inlight of the large number of surveyparticipants in this instance, the findings shouldalways be interpreted with care. During the analysisphase of this research, extensive analyses were conducted to investigate whether there aredifferences in findings as a function of demographic characteristics (age, length of residence,race/ethnicity, education, gender,household income, presence of children in the household). Though very few differences emerged, thosethat were found aredescribedherein.
GENDER
2,219 SURVEY
PARTICIPANTS
Notes: A respondent is defined as area adult who completed most or all items in the survey. Excluded from the analysis reported herein are those additional participants who completed only a small portion of the survey. For most demographic variables above, “other” mentions are excluded. The Ns vary for each item due to item nonresponse.
EDUCATION
SURVEY RESULTS
PERCEPTIONS & OPINIONS ABOUT DOWNTOWN TODAY
CURRENT PATRONAGE
ASPIRATIONS FOR THE FUTURE
VAST MAJORITY OF RESPONDENTS (70%)
EITHER LOVE DOWNTOWN OR LIKE IT VERY MUCH
QUESTION WORDING
22% | Love it
10% | Dislike
OVERALL FEELING ABOUT DOWNTOWN
48% | Like it very much
“Taking everything into account, which statement comes closest to the way you feel? I love downtown, I like downtown a lot, I neither like nor dislike downtown, I dislike downtown.”
N = 1,968
Analysis of detailed findings (not shown here) reveals no difference in this overall measure of feelings about downtown as a function of age, race/ethnicity, household composition, education, gender, household income, or length of residence.
19% | Neither like nor dislike
SURVEY RESPONDENTS GIVE DOWNTOWN AUSTIN
HIGH MARKS IN TERMS OF
Safe during daytime hours
Good place for live music
Essential to Austin's character
Offering interesting places to go and things to do
Heart of the city
Essential destination for out of town visitors
Desirable place to work
QUESTION WORDING
“Using a 10 point scale where 1 is poor and 10 is excellent, how would you evaluate downtown in terms of . . .”
Ns range from 1,974 to 2,147
SURVEY
RESPONDENTS
GIVE DOWNTOWN AUSTIN
RELATIVELY LOW MARKS IN TERMS OF
Availability of affordable places to go and things to do
A place for everybody
Safe during nighttime hours
QUESTION WORDING
“Using a 10 point scale where 1 is poor and 10 is excellent, how would you evaluate downtown in terms of . . .”
Ns range from 1,906 to 2,126
SURVEY RESPONDENTS’ PERSPECTIVES ABOUT DOWNTOWN AFFORDABILITY TODAY
Of respondents who say “not
Living in an apartment or condo
Staying in a hotel
Purchasing clothes, gifts, or personal services
Eating out as a family with children
Eating out alone or with other adults Going to interesting events
QUESTION WORDING
“How affordable is downtown when it comes to . . .? Is it very affordable, affordable, or not affordable?”
Ns range from 2,027 to 2,055
OVERALL, THERE ARE FEW DEMOGRAPHIC DIFFERENCES
IN PERCEPTIONS OR OPINIONS
REGARDING DOWNTOWN
Detailed analyses reveal the following modest demographic differences:
GENDER
There are very few differences. Women, compared to men, are more likely to characterize downtown as “too expensive for me” and patronize downtown less frequently on weeknights and weekends.
AGE
RACE / ETHNICITY
Older people consider downtown more inconvenient. Younger people generally patronize downtown more on weeknights and weekends (no difference during workday).
There are very few differences. To the extent that there are, Hispanics hold slightly more favorable views than whites in terms of characterizing downtown as: a pleasant place to walk around; being exciting; being friendly; being a welcoming place; being a place for everybody; being an essential place for out of town visitors. They also characterize downtown as more exclusive.
EDUCATION
HOUSEHOLD INCOME
There is only one small difference. Highly educated respondents are less likely to characterize downtown as “too expensive for me”.
Respondents living in households with higher incomes:
• Patronize downtown more during week days and weeknights (but not weekends)
• Are less likely to describe downtown as “too expensive for me”
• Are slightly more favorable in their overall evaluation of downtown (more say “I love downtown”)
PRESENCE OF CHILDREN
Respondents with children in their households patronize downtown less often during weeknights and weekends and they are more likely to describe eating out as a family as expensive.
THE FACTOR MOST STRONGLY LINKED TO DIFFERENCES IN OPINION
IS LENGTH OF RESIDENCE IN THE AUSTIN AREA
People who have lived in the Austin area for a long time are rather consistently, but only modestly, less favorable with respect to several aspects of downtown.
Compared to others, long time area residents consider Downtown Austin to be slightly:
• Less safe at night
• Less desirable place to live
• Less desirable place to work
• Less friendly
• Less of a place for everybody
• Less of an essential destination for out of town visitors
• More inconvenient
And they patronize downtown less frequently on weeknights and especially weekends.
SURVEY RESULTS
PERCEPTIONS & OPINIONS ABOUT DOWNTOWN TODAY
CURRENT PATRONAGE
ASPIRATIONS FOR THE FUTURE
PERCENTAGE OF RESPONDENTS WHO VISIT DOWNTOWN
MORE THAN 2X A MONTH AT SPECIFIED TIMES
QUESTION WORDING
“Think about your typical pattern. On average, how often do you visit a downtown business such as a restaurant, a store, or another business? During Weekdays during business hours? On weeknights? On the weekends, either in the day or night?”
67%51%47%
DURING WEEKDAYS, BUSINESS HOURS
DURING WEEKENDS, DAY OR NIGHT DURING WEEKDAYS, EVENINGS
Detailed analyses (not shown here) reveal some differences among groups in terms of their frequency of their patronage. Specifically, patronage during nights and weekends is lower among:
Older people, women, those who have lived in Austin a long time, people in households with children, people in households with lower incomes.
Ns range from 1,941 to 2,047
SURVEY RESULTS
PERCEPTIONS & OPINIONS ABOUT DOWNTOWN TODAY
CURRENT PATRONAGE
ASPIRATIONS FOR THE FUTURE
ASPIRATIONS FOR DOWNTOWN’S FUTURE
SUMMARY
Analysis of the open-ended questions about desires for the future of downtown reveals even more about area residents’ existing concerns as well as the changes they would like to see in the future.
QUESTION WORDING
“In order to ensure that Downtown Austin is the best in the country, what aspects of downtown should remain just as they are?”
“What improvements should be made?”
In the context of wide-ranging input, this is the summary:
• Downtown Austin’s growth and vitality are, for the most part, welcome by area residents.
• That said, their vision for the future includes more affordability, a downtown that captivates not only tourists and residents but everyone who lives in the area; they want to claim and be part of this “heart of the city.”
More specifically, they hope that downtown will be:
• Affordable -- attracting and serving the local community at large, regardless of where people live, their race or ethnicity and their financial circumstances.
• Easy to get to and to get around.
• Green, walkable, lively, offering pleasant experiences in the public realms
• And, especially, a distinctive and authentic place – highlighting history and local culture and businesses
• Last but not least, they hope that the complex problems associated with homelessness will be addressed
The next few slides include illustrative verbatim responses that reflect the substance and flavor of respondents’ visions for the future of downtown.
DOWNTOWN AUSTIN SHOULD BE EASY TO GET TO AND EASY TO GET AROUND*
Traffic and parking are a major deterrent for us.
The idea of taking mass transit to downtown isn't worki
I know this is a tired subject, but parking is miser
We need active transportation, and transportation th
Make it friendly for easy access by car and accessible, affordable parking. Transit cannot create an at
Need rail transportation into downtown to limit the
We need to get as many cars out of downtown as possible. Personally, I think the only vehicles that sho I'd love to see a trolley system.
Downtown is still too automobile
I feel like better access to rail across the city, into downtown, would be life changing for our beauti
We need the Dillo back.
* The discontent with mobility is widespread though respondents offered different ideas about the “right” solution.
IN THEIR OWN WORDS
DOWNTOWN AUSTIN
SHOULD BE AFFORDABLE
The affordability crisis is the number problem facing Austin
Much of downtown has become financially exclusive. Our household earns over $200K and yet we still feel like You pay dearly for parking, and then you pay dearly for your meal or entertainment. That is counter to Aust
I'd sure love to see more affordable housing and restaurants so everybody can be a part of downtown.
There are a ton of high-end furniture/clothing stores that seem to cater to rich people but vibrant cities…have more amenities that appeal to the com
Keep it funky and affordable.
We would love to go downtown more but we are a middl and honestly can't afford to participate in downtown activities.
Let's just make sure it doesn't become a theme park
DOWNTOWN
AUSTIN SHOULD BE GREEN AND WALKABLE, OFFERING
PLEASANT OUTDOOR STREETSCAPES, EXPERIENCES, GATHERING PLACES
The Town Lake Trail is this city's jewel. Continue to improve and
Lady Bird Lake and the parks around it are phenomenal
The river connection is sublime and should continue is concentrated on the south side of river, which is not
Make Shoal and Waller Creek walkable and connected.
Protected trees should remain. Existing tree canopy shoul
Do NOT build anywhere that requires removal of trees or grass. I
Need increased and improved parkland, including Waller Creek & Shoal Creek trails. Even small things li
Add attended public toilets. NYC can do it, so can we.
I'm worried that in the next ten years, our streetsc
We need to either start digging for our garages… or
Anywhere where the streets are shaded and the shops / restaurants are walkable (like the 2nd St. district)
Vibrancy and activity of the downtown night life. E District, Red River, Hike-and-bike trails, parades, festivals, SXSW, ACL. Bremond Block,
DOWNTOWN AUSTIN SHOULD PRESERVE AND ENHANCE
HISTORIC BUILDINGS, PLACES AND CHARACTER
Preserve history. Keep quirky old buildings.
The churches and other historical buildings should
The historical, unique characters and assets need to be maintained and promoted.
The historical buildings along Congress must never
The historical, unique characters and assets need to
The authentic, original buildings and homes should stay the same. It would break to my heart to come back in 10
Downtown Austin needs to maintain its iconic structures/business
On Rainey Street we are seeing more and more high
I give people rides every weekend doing ride-sharing and everyone from out of town wants to go to R structures to be built there, there won't be anything coo
Downtown has erased the most distinctive characteristics of A which has made us unique, and avoid the homogenizati
I've lived downtown since the 80s, and the only bad thing that has been happening has been destroying historical and cultural I get it, I really do—I live in the first new residential tower build in downto Golden Goose—developers need to take the lead in preserving our historic IN THEIR OWN WORDS
DOWNTOWN AUSTIN SHOULD RETAIN THE PRESENCE OF CULTURAL ASSETS,
ESPECIALLY LIVE MUSIC – A DEFINING AND DISTINCTIVE ASSET
Allow for live music to remain. There have been venue and I believe that if too many leave it will cause the liv
If we lose arts, music, and the other cultural touch we are no better than Dallas or Houston
"Highest and best use" is not always the right answer. If and it will become cost-prohibitive for artists and musicians and bars and music venues
Live music venues need to be protected from fancy co
They are the essence of this city, and they're consis
MUSIC !!!!! SAVE OUR MUSIC.
Make sure new businesses are required to take into account that are building in an active entertainment
DOWNTOWN AUSTIN SHOULD PRESERVE AND ENHANCE
ITS LOCAL BUSINESSES AND DISTINCTIVE VIBE
Austin has been a quaint patchwork of eclectic, and eccentric, people and businesses. We're forcing th Downtown Austin is losing all of its character. It's becoming just like every other, boring, homogenized city in A
Stop local, unique businesses from being pushed out
Downtown Austin needs to maintain its iconic structures
Vintage businesses and restaurants shouldn't be priced out o
It is becoming generic . . . It’s just becoming more like
More great independent restaurants and breweries/bars that don't just cater to tr
Going downtown was where we went to enjoy music, art cosmopolitan young people who make enough money to bu
The new places in the downtown corridor are not a c and eclectic new business that would ultimately lea
Austin is living on its past reputation. At this traj
Maintain a plethora of unique business districts (Warehouse/4th, 6th, Market, etc.). Keep the mix of tena
Don't sell out! Stay true to your Austin heritage! The Warehouse District and Seaholm are great examples of places that
If downtown doesn't become a place for everyone, a p a more exclusive, more expensive place, where the pri
THE CHALLENGE OF HOMELESSNESS SHOULD BE SOLVED
Too many homeless on the streets begging for food, money, a place
The homeless population is completely out of control. I am hounded by aggressive panhandlers constantly.
As is often the case, they are mentally unstable and when they are acting out, it is frightening.
What I love most about [the downtown ambassadors] is mental health and/or substance abuse issues. They he
The alleys could use a nightly spray down to help remove the human urine and feces too. Two words that ar
I had homeless people approach me and my [five
The homeless situation is intolerable.
It's not that I don't like homeless people. My heart g
Austin has got to get rid of the ARCH, and get the homeless, mentally ill, drug addicted people out of d
The only time I don't feel safe is when I'm being accosted by
We have an ever-increasing homeless population that is forced into the indig This is ridiculous, we live in a first world country,
Help the homeless so they can get off the streets once and for all.
IN THEIR OWN WORDS
DOWNTOWN AUSTIN SHOULD WELCOME ALL
- BE APPEALING AND ACCESSIBLE FOR FAMILIES
For families there's absolutely nothing…. You can't really have a picnic over at the lake
There is nothing for smaller children to do in downto
There's no African Americans or people of color. It's too lily w IN THEIR OWN WORDS
AND BETTER REFLECT THE RACE/ETHNIC PROFILE OF AREA RESIDENTS
SUMMARY
To ensure that downtown Austin retains or improves its appeal to the local residents, these results suggest the following:
ADDRESS MYRIAD MOBILITY ISSUES
Addressing these mobility issues is essential – this includes ingress and egress, circulation, and more progressive planning that takes emerging technologies and preferences of younger people into account.
ENSURE DOWNTOWN IS WELCOMING AND AFFORDABLE
Ensuring that downtown is welcoming and affordable – to the fullest extent possible – so that it is appealing and accessible to the area’s growing and increasingly diverse community.
SUCCESSFULLY ADDRESS COMPLEXITY OF HOMELESSNESS
Successfully addressing the complex issues surrounding homelessness.
HIGHLIGHT AUSTIN’S UNIQUE HISTORY AND LOCAL CHARACTER
Preserving and highlighting Austin’s unique history and local character (e.g., arts and entertainment, live music, home-grown small businesses) is mission critical. This valuable and distinctive aspect of place can’t be replicated anywhere else.
GROW AND LEVERAGE PARKS AND PUBLIC REALM
Growing and leveraging parks (through programming, connectedness, and design) and other aspects of the public realm (streets and sidewalks) so that these community assets are lively, welcoming and attractive gathering places. Ensure that the public realm brings value to everyone in the region.
Ensuring that downtown Austin retains or improves its appeal to the local residents will, no doubt, prove to be an ambitious undertaking.
IMPLICATIONS
Achieving the vision will prove to be enormously complex. Success will require not only financial investments but also the committed and coordinated planning and execution of both public and private sector entities. And effective planning will require ongoing consideration of the experience of downtown users.
Given the exceptionally rapid pace of change, the time for such an effort is now. The potential impact is enormous; the outcome would be nothing short of an amazing legacy serving Austin area residents and visitors for decades to come.
