Chattanooga Stand, which began a survey almost a year ago to find what residents like about Chattanooga, has released a database of the results. One result is that citizens have concern about education, crime and jobs.
Officials said, "It's just shy of a year since we first donned clipboards and yellow shirts to begin the seemingly impossible task of asking 25,000 neighbors and friends what they like about Chattanooga. It took our city only five short months to blow that goal out of the water.
"So here we are, one year later, facing a new task that seems even more exciting and unapproachable than the first. Getting 26,263 responses was the easy part; implementing the changes that need to occur is the hard part.
"With the gracious and knowledgeable help of the Ochs Center, Stand has come up with five major trends that emerge from the data. Together, these tell us the next 25 years are about Chattanooga's people.
"Our city = our citizens. Thirty years ago, we wanted to love this place, and we connected quality of life with natural and man-made environments. Stand responses show that now we're ready to focus on the people populating our region - how they live, work, and play in this place we call home.
"Beautiful, but we've got baggage. Chattanooga's scenic beauty is a source of pride for citizens, many of whom remember a time when it was not quite so lovely. We treasure the renewed beauty of our city and need to ensure that planning and growth efforts keep Chattanooga clean and safe - from our parks, to our roads, to our houses and offices.
"Education informs everything. Stand survey results show concern about Chattanooga's future in three key areas: education, crime, and jobs. We crave public safety and access to quality education, and as a city, we're ready to say: our opportunities are decided by the safety of our streets and schools.
"Live or work, we've got a place to share. Stand survey results show that our downtown is a valuable asset, regardless of where we live in the region. For many, it's a hub for regional commerce, local business, and impressive attractions. Fact is, downtown is everyone's business.
"Changing culture, serving culture. We know how to recycle, pick up trash, and vote, but our community wants to do more. Complex community problems can't be solved in an 8-hour workday, and the gap between wanting to volunteer and actually volunteering has to be closed.
"These trends are by no means comprehensive, they're merely what stood out most strongly to us - and what we, as an organization, have chosen to act upon. There are a lot of little interesting things in the raw data - and we encourage all of you to dive in and find your own conclusions. In the coming months, there will be public discussions, forums, and events, plus collateral and presentations to help make this data set a tool for everyone.
"Thanks, Chattanooga. We love you."
This is the link to the Stand results:
results.chattanoogastand.com