April 29, 2004

San Jose is named most livable city
Survey reveals residents want improvements in traffic, housing costs, education, jobs and fighting crime

By Sheila Sanchez
Staff Writer

San Jose officials are patting themselves on the back after receiving positive ratings from a recent community survey and being recognized by an independent report and a nonprofit organization as one of the country's most livable cities.

Released in March, the survey revealed that 54 percent of residents say they're somewhat satisfied with city services, while 19 percent say they're very satisfied with city services.

The other two accolades came this month in the form of a report by the prestigious con sulting firm of Booz Allen Hamilton, naming the city the most livable city, and then in an award from a Washington, D.C.-based nonprofit organization also for being the most livable city.

The community survey was conducted by the Oakland-based opinion research and public analysis firm of Fairbank, Maslin, Maullin & Associates.

The survey showed resident satisfaction with city services is significantly higher than resident satisfaction in other Bay Area cities like San Francisco or Oakland.

Conducted last December, the phone survey queried 1,000 randomly selected San Joseans over the age of 18 in English, Spanish and Vietnamese about quality of life, city services, contact with city employees, public safety and residents' participation with various community aspects, including volunteerism.

San Joseans said they want more programs for young people and seniors, improvements in rundown areas and more effort to protect open space.

Two-thirds rated the overall physical condition of their neighborhood as good or excellent and 63 percent say their neighbors have a sense of community pride.

About 50 percent rate their quality of life as good, 25 percent say it's excellent and 20 percent say it's just average.

Most Livable City
In September of 2003, The Dallas Morning News commissioned Booz Allen Hamilton to do a statistical comparison of Dallas and 14 other U.S. “peer” cities of comparable size and structure. The study focused on how the cities handled three issues that Dallas residents said mattered most: crime, education and economic growth.

The findings released this month showed San Jose ranked first, while Dallas ranked 12 th , with Philadelphia, Baltimore and Detroit ranking lower.

“We're delighted that we are getting national honors for what we have achieved,” said David Vossbrink, a spokesman for San Jose Mayor Ron Gonzales. “This was another strong endorsement that San Jose is performing well compared to other cities.”

About The News' findings, Vossbrink said, “They found that San Jose clearly sets a high standard to measure other cities for high quality of life, effective municipal leadership, and commitment to results that benefit our residents.”

In regard to the 2003 survey results, Vossbrink said its greatest value is the information it gives city officials to help them improve over the long run. About the higher ratings given by residents who live in San Diego and Phoenix, Vossbrink said comparisons between cities with surveys are not valid because each city's survey is different and expectations of residents in each city are not the same.

Over time, however, the city's survey reveals trends about areas that are improving or need improvement, which helps to respond to community needs better, he said.

But he noted, “This year will be very difficult because of budget challenges, and the city council will be making choices about where we have to cut back on services to stay in balance.”

San Jose was also named one of “America's Most Livable Communities” by the Washington, D.C.-based nonprofit organization Partners for Livable Communities. The award recognizes American communities that have raised the banner of “livability” as a standard of excellence for municipal performance.

Mayor Ron Gonzales accepted the award at an April 20 ceremony at the National Press Club in Washington. “Our residents have long known that San Jose is an outstanding place to live, work, and raise families,” said Gonzales in accepting the award.

“I'm proud and delighted that San Jose has received this national recognition for our accomplishments and our strong and successful commitment to improve our neighborhoods, protect our residents, and adapt to the dynamic economy of the new century.”

The communities honored in 2004 were evaluated on their strategies, visions, and actions in preparing for changes in the economic environment, as well as for creativity, leadership and collaborative efforts across ten areas.

A press release prepared by the mayor's office said San Jose was selected as one of “America's Most Livable Communities” based on its performance in the following areas:

• San Jose is consistently ranked as the safest big city in America based on annual FBI crime statistics as a result of police and fire departments that work closely with community groups and neighborhoods to protect residents.

• Its Strong Neighborhoods Initiative delivers city services and neighborhood improvements by working in partnership with residents and businesses to define grassroots priorities, organize city resources around those priorities, and develop neighborhood leaders.

• San Jose collaborates with business, civic and nonprofit entities for effective delivery of public services and projects. A recent example is the new Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., Library built in partnership with San Jose State University and is the first library in the nation that serves both as the city's and as the university's main library.

• San Jose's population is one of the most diverse urban mixes in the nation with approximately one-third each Anglo, Latino, and Asian, which has enriched the city's cultural environment and strengthens the city's competitive position as a global center for trade and technology innovation.

• During the past four years San Jose voters have approved $600 million in public investments to improve city parks, libraries and public safety facilities that will be built over the coming ten years.

• San Jose maintains a high bond rating despite a lagging economy that has led to falling bond ratings for the state of California and other California cities.

• With the development of a forward-thinking long-term economic strategy, San Jose is able to adapt and be competitive in the new global economy.

The Survey
When asked to name the issues San Jose residents would most like city officials to address, participants in the community survey singled out traffic congestion, housing costs, crime, education and jobs.

Vice Mayor Pat Dando has requested more follow-up evaluation of survey data and how to address areas that need attention. “It's great that we do this. It's great that we hear from people. It's great that we're doing a good job, but this needs to be a tool that helps the city to take the next step,” said Dando.

For the first time, the survey involved the geography of the Strong Neighborhoods Initiative, an ambitious program that promised to pump $135 million over five years into needy communities, but because of lack of funding hundreds of SNI projects have been halted as the city's redevelopment agency waits to see how state budget cuts affect agency funding. SNI residents were most likely to say that the city should make crime, drugs and gangs its top priority.

Councilwoman Cindy Chavez is worried about the survey's safety ratings. Residents don't feel safe walking in their neighborhoods or in the downtown area at night. Reasons why residents feel unsafe include vagrants, transients, “unstable people” or gang members, according to the responses. Others mentioned drinking or drug use, while others cited a fear of crime, robberies and muggings.

While the survey says San Jose residents are less concerned about traffic, the report showed that commuters still worry about traffic flow on local freeways and expressways and that they feel safer walking or driving around the city and less safe bicycling.

“People are nervous about bicycling on the street… and unfortunate accidents that happen. The more we can do to make our streets safer for people to ride bicycles, the better,” said Councilman Ken Yeager.

Residents are also unfamiliar, only one-third is aware, with the city's “Street Smarts” program addressing driver, pedestrian and bicyclist behavior to improve street safety.

The survey also showed San Joseans want limits on housing prices and more assistance to the homeless.

In the area of crime, they want more police patrols and neighborhood watch expansion.

They also want more jobs or better relations with local businesses.

While Dando said the survey rates well in comparison to other cities, she stressed more needs to be done to bring the city to a higher level, urging the council to guide the budget process by taking into account the survey results.

After reviewing survey data in March, city officials voted unanimously to slash 100 jobs saying it would save the city $5.4 million in the wake of a projected $77 million budget shortfall in 2004-05.

“As has been the case in prior surveys, sizable majorities of local residents are pleased with the physical condition of their neighborhoods, the accessibility of various public amenities and a wide range of aspects of San Jose's quality of life, from air quality to parks,” the survey summary stated.

The survey showed that more needs to be done to get city dwellers involved in volunteer work, revealing that only one third of residents is engaged in some type of volunteer activity in their community, typically on behalf of a school, nonprofit or religious organization.

On another positive note, the survey revealed most residents have taken appropriate steps to prepare for an emergency or disaster and that their assessment of the city's public facilities like libraries, city parks, cultural facilities, government offices and community centers continues to improve.