Preliminary results shared in September, a month after the project launched, found the majority of those polled feel the city is divided. At the time, Future IQ CEO David Beurle said “the first blush often is a pretty good reflection” of how the community feels but that does not appear to have been the case in the end.
Beurle said Tuesday during a community summit meeting ay the Hollenbeck-Bayley Creative Arts Center that while there is a cohort of people “who are clearly aggrieved” and concerned about the direction of the community while unhappy about living and working in Springfield, that is far from the majority. He estimated the number to be around 67 people who responded when the survey first came out, with responses being more positive afterwards.
“What this suggests is while there are an important cohort of people who are feeling pretty aggrieved, there is a very large chunk of people who feel pretty excited and I think that’s what this project is starting to tap into, people who are excited about the future,” Beurle said.
Credit: Jessica Orozco
Credit: Jessica Orozco
Overall, residents are feeling positive about living in Springfield while recognizing “structural concerns that dominate the community fabric,” like housing, the economy and community divisions, Beurle said.
Unity and division are the most consistent cross-generational concern but “this is not a broken community; this is a credibility-seeking community,” Beurle said.
“People don’t think this is broken; they say what we need to do is build our place and our story and own them,” he said.
As part of the process which is led by citizens and supported by the state and local government as well as nonprofits and the business community, more than 50 community engagement sessions have been held to identify what residents want for the future.
Through the process, the project’s steering committee came up with seven “pillars” or areas of focus for the future.
The seven pillars identified are:
- Stimulating strategic economic growth
- Fostering strong neighborhoods and community wellbeing
- Creating youth opportunities
- Activating southside revitalization
- Elevating arts, heritage and culture
- Capitalizing on recreation and natural assets
- Enhancing downtown and corridors
Some areas are already strong or efforts are in the works, like in arts and culture and area parks. Turner Foundation Historian and steering committee member Kevin Rose on Tuesday highlighted arts and culture achievements in the last 25 years like the Westcott and Gammon House restorations, park improvements and improvements at the Springfield Museum of Art, which is a Smithsonian affiliate.
“The question is, where do we go over the next 25 years to make sure all these things are here for our children and grandchildren?” Rose said.
Parks and green spaces are ample in Clark County and need continued support, said Kim Nedelman Fish, steering committee member and Crabill Foundation director of philanthropy.
Now that the data collection of residents thoughts on a shared vision of the future is complete, the project is now focusing on identifying actions to get there, Beurle said. That will take place now through September.
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