This indicator is part of Work together for safety.

Indicator description:                                                           

The City of Albuquerque commissions a survey of Citizens' Perceptions of Community Conditions every other year in order to determine citizens' views of the current conditions in the Albuquerque community. Each of the last five surveys, conducted by Research and Polling, Inc., has posed the same question about citizen's perception of the quality of life in their neighborhood. The chart below notes the trend in individual neighborhoods, known as Community Planning Areas (CPA), and depicts the statistical mean score on a 5-point scale, with 5 being the highest possible score. Most neighborhoods experienced a positive trend, although some saw their quality of life ratings decline over the years. Comparable survey data for peer Southwest cities could not be found, as other communities are not asking their citizens these same questions. Note: The Central Albuquerque neighborhood did not have a large enough sample size to report a mean score in 2007.

Why is this indicator relevant?

Research demonstrates that citizens' perceptions of their quality of life in their neighborhood and community is linked to crime, and social, physical and economic conditions. When communities successfully improve streetscapes, neighborhood commercial centers, natural areas and public squares, as well as improving public safety, education, recreation and other municipal services, all without dampening the unique character of each neighborhood, then citizens rate quality of life as being excellent. This indicator is also linked to Goal 2, Indicator 12.1 Citizen Perception - Feelings of Safety.

Data Source:
City of Albuquerque, Citizen's Perceptions of Community Conditions survey, Research and Polling, Inc., 1999-2007.

What can we tell from the data?

• The percentage of citizens who rated quality of the life in their neighborhood as excellent or good has been stable, with a positive trend which was interrupted in 2005, but returned to a high level in 2007.

For Help in understanding this page, see Understanding Indicators.