Some of the casualties of the COVID-19 pandemic are also some of the most cherished aspects of urban life, according to a new study released Wednesday.
The "Community Ties" report, which was conducted by the Urban Institute and commissioned by the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation, explores what drives people's attachment to a city and how cities can "deepen that sense of connection."
The report, which draws on a survey of more than 10,000 Americans in urban areas, found that access to arts and culture; recreational areas; and safe places to work stand out as urban amenities that are tied to greater feelings of community attachment.
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While the report was conducted before the COVID-19 shutdowns, it can still be "a useful guide to creating vibrant cities for the future," Evette Alexander, the foundation's director of learning and impact, said in a written statement.
"Some of the things that we've lost the most access to during the pandemic are some of the things that most attach people to their communities," Alexander adds in an interview. "And that's something to think about as city leaders and planners look at how to prioritize investments and any redesigns of community life in light of COVID for better public health."
But Alexander tells U.S. News that before the pandemic, "there was already a pre-existing equity issue" when it came to accessing some quality of life amenities.
The report notes that while people of color and low-income people are more likely than others to choose to move to a place or stay there because of quality of life, they are also most likely to have the biggest challenges accessing urban amenities.
The report features a survey of 1,206 U.S. adults living in urbanized areas and 10,261 living in 26 metro areas, such as Miami, Philadelphia and Wichita, Kansas. Specific data, including statistics for each of the metro areas surveyed, shows mixed results on people's sense of community.
From a national perspective, 58% of respondents said they would stay in the place they live if they could be anywhere. But while access to family amenities and recreational areas scored in the middle-to-high 80% range, access to affordable housing scored just 50%
In Akron, Ohio, just 49% of respondents had a preference to stay. But access to affordable housing in the metro area scored 72% – much higher than the national average. About 63% of respondents in Charlotte, North Carolina, said they would choose to stay there, while only 48% of respondents in Macon, Georgia, had that preference for their metro area.
Of all factors, the amount of time people spent in a city center had "the broadest significant effects on both attachment feelings and behaviors," according to the report. As a result, the authors recommend that local leaders start initiatives that will boost the amount of time residents spend in their city's downtown core.