For Immediate Release
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Town Hall Event Reveals Results from Stillwater Quality of Life Survey
Revitalization expert Quint Studer shared results at Vibrant Stillwater’s first public townhall
Stillwater, OK (October 2021)—On the evening of October 12, revitalization expert Quint Studer spoke at a public town hall meeting in the auditorium of the Sheerar Center. Attendees reviewed the results of the Quality of Life Survey sponsored by Vibrant Stillwater—a coalition of citizens and local leaders looking to revitalize the community.
“We believe civic awareness, education, and engagement are the heart and soul of vibrancy. The more citizens who step forward to take ownership in the well-being of Stillwater, the better,” shared Rebecca Eastham, moderator for the event and a member of the steering committee for Vibrant Stillwater
The survey, conducted by Mason-Dixon Polling & Strategy out of Washington, D.C., took place September 13-22. The completed survey is the result of five hundred responses; calls were made to a randomly selected list of registered voters in the Stillwater School District. Questions are designed to collect feedback about various aspects of life in Stillwater, including employment opportunities, economic growth, education, confidence in local government, and the quality of life
“The idea behind the survey was to provide objective data to guide our efforts,” says Claudia Humphreys, a steering committee member of Vibrant Stillwater. “The responses we got will create a clear-cut path for us to follow. And we were excited about the positive findings that came out of the survey. It gives us momentum to build from.”
A Glance at the Results
Studer, who has been working with Vibrant Stillwater on its efforts, shared a few of the highlights from the survey results during the town hall event: (full results here: https://www.vibrantstillwater.com/good-to-great-quality-of-life-results-are-in/)
- 69.4 percent of respondents said Stillwater is heading on the right track, vs. 16.4 percent who said it’s on the wrong track and 14.2 percent who said they were not sure
- The most important issues facing Stillwater were found to be “Recovery from the Pandemic” and “Roads/Traffic”
The Quality of Life Survey also identified some bright spots. Stillwater’s top aspects were found to be:
- Availability of Outdoor Parks and Playgrounds
- Public Safety and Low Crime
- Welcoming and Inviting to People of Diverse Backgrounds
The greatest opportunities for improving Stillwater’s Quality of Life were identified as:
- Shared Vision for Economic Growth
- Availability of Affordable Housing
- Having a Vibrant Nightlife and Entertainment for All Ages
Finally, 78 percent of respondents supported the concept, effort, and mission of Vibrant Stillwater.
Studer says getting this kind of objective data early in a community’s revitalization push is important for several reasons. “It allows you to challenge assumptions and make decisions based on facts,” he says.
Focusing on Stillwater’s Future
Moving forward, Studer recommends that Vibrant Stillwater zero in on three main areas:
1. Attracting and retaining young people. “Young people want opportunity,” he says. “If we can create an entrepreneurial culture and strong ecosystem in Stillwater, we will see more thriving businesses which means more opportunities for young talent. There is also a great opportunity to leverage the natural flow of talent from OSU.
2. Creating vibrancy in key places. People want to be able to live, work, and play downtown for example. By focusing vibrancy efforts on this area, Stillwater can not only keep its young people home, it can attract investment. Identifying what are those key areas and how they link together will be important.
“The trend we see over and over is that capital follows talent, and talent follows place,” says Studer. “Today people choose where they want to live and then look for a job. And the same things that attract young people also make the rest of the community happy as well, particularly empty nesters and retirees. A vibrant downtown is a win for everyone.”
3. Lifting up people who live below the poverty line. “We all want to solve this issue,” says Studer. “The good news is there is a lot of crossover with the other goals. Bolstering entrepreneurship could really help this population. The key is to pull them into the fold and give them real opportunities.
“Young people naturally want to be part of a cause,” he adds. “They have a strong desire for meaning and purpose. We’re hoping we get young professionals to lean in and really help this group.”
Studer says the key to getting more citizens engaged in meeting these goals is showing them how the efforts will keep young talent—our children and grandchildren—from leaving. Ideally, he adds, the community will get some quick wins, which in turn will generate enough momentum to achieve what change management expert John Kotter calls “critical mass.”
Humphreys says that with these results, she believes Stillwater has been given a mandate. “Almost 70 percent of respondents believe we are moving in the right direction. We need to get intentional, stay focused, and grab the opportunities that are right in front of us.”
How to Get Involved
1. Whether you’re an individual or part of a civic organization, economic development firm, faith-based community, or any other group, if you’d like to learn more about the results of the survey, please reach out to info@vibrantstillwater.com.
2. Please share the results as much as possible, using the hashtags: #Vibrantstillwater; #QualityofLife; #PoweredbyCitizens; and #LoveSTW.
3. Please encourage others to join Vibrant Stillwater by visiting www.vibrantstillwater.com.
4. In the weeks and months ahead, Vibrant Stillwater will be soliciting ideas, projects, or opportunities that will help define an action plan and community-inspired vision. Be on the lookout and check in regularly at www.vibrantstillwater.com. Take a look at the list of those involved, ask them about the latest efforts and uncover a project you want to invest your support and time.
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To learn more about Vibrant Stillwater, visit www.vibrantstillwater.com and discover ways you can get involved, be engaged in its efforts, and sign up for regular updates. Coalition leaders also urge interested citizens to read Quint Studer’s Building a Vibrant Community: How Citizen-Powered Change Is Reshaping America to get a feel for the revitalization process and see what’s possible for Stillwater.