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28 - Active, safe downtown

Goal 4 - DCC 28 - The downtown area is vital, active, safe, and accessible.

Housing, in relation to jobs, increased in the downtown area. Single family home costs also increased, but demand remained high. Serious (Part I) crimes decreased in 2007. Citywide, residents do not consider an active downtown as particularly important, except for Central Albuquerque residents who consider it very important. Residents may not be aware of the progress made in the downtown area.

INDICATORS

LOCAL TREND:

The number of downtown housing units increased 42% between 2000 and 2004, greatly improving the ratio of downtown housing units to downtown jobs. Serious (Part I) crimes decreased 14% between 2006 and 2007. After reaching a low in 2005, total crime increased 18% in 2007, but this likely reflects increases in downtown jobs and residences which would suggest a lower crime rate. The median sales price per square foot of single family homes in the downtown area more than doubled between 1999 and 2007. Both the median sales price and the price per square foot of a single family home in the downtown area now exceeds the similar prices of homes elsewhere in the greater Albuquerque area. In spite of higher prices, however, demand has remained stable. Houses sold in the downtown area remained between 1.48% and 2.02% of all homes sold in the greater Albuquerque area each year between 1999 and 2007.

NATIONAL/REGIONAL COMPARISON:

Because each city has a unique definition of downtown and has differing factors affecting their downtown, direct comparisons are not possible.

CITIZEN PERCEPTION:

Citywide, Albuquerque citizens in 2007 considered this Desired Community Condition about the downtown area important, but only slightly so. Their ratings of importance put a vital, active, safe, and accessible downtown last among all 51 DCCs. They also rated progress relatively low, 34th of 51 DCCs. However, the residents of Central Albuquerque, which includes downtown, considered a vital downtown very important, 13th of all 51 DCCs, but last in terms of progress. This does not appear to agree with the data.

Opportunity to