What Makes People Love Their Communities?

Researchers for the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation recently concluded a three-year study that explored the factors that emotionally attach people to their communities and the role of community attachment in an area's economic growth and well-being. Their findings show that a community's (1) social offerings (i.e. the opportunities it offers residents for social interaction), (2) acceptance of diversity, and (3) aesthetics are the most significant factors in creating emotional bonds between people and their communities. These factors out-ranked safety, education systems, and basic services as the top drivers of attachment. The study also found a significant correlation between community attachment and economic growth. Cities with the highest level of attachment had the highest rate of GDP growth.