Cumulative Quality of Life Results
The quality of life experience among residents in a neighborhood can vary from person to
person. This framework provides a tool to compare the relative quality of life across
neighborhoods within the city based on a common set of variables. This section shares the results
from aggregating the dimensional priority scores for each NSA.
Table 3 lists all NSAs which met the High Priority criteria for one or more dimensions. Figure 3
shows that NSAs that received three or four Dimensional High Priority scores are clustered in an
area north of South Military Highway. NSAs which received one or two Dimensional High
Priority scores are spread out across the city instead of clustering in one area or another.
Additional maps in this section include Figure 4, which provides a guide for the identification of
individual NSA results for the High Priority NSAs, and Figure 5 which provides a comparison of
the 2006 and 2014 citywide quality of life results. Although the NSA boundaries changed
between 2006 and 2014, Figure 5 shows some consistency by identifying NSAs
north of South
Military Highway along I-464
as most in need of quality of life investments. For additional
insight into the 2006 results, see the 2006 NQL Study.
Strong, livable residential communities are the backbone of a successful city. Acknowledging the
interrelated issues of quality of life is the first step in creating a program to routinely assess
progress toward healthy NSAs and focus efforts on addressing the individual needs of each
neighborhood. Identifying High Priority NSAs for each of the four dimensions aligns NSAs with
other communities facing similar challenges and dynamics.
In this fashion, public actions to address neighborhood issues may be targeted throughout the
city, based upon common concerns rather than local geography. Additionally, NSAs facing
quality of life challenges in more than one dimension may find opportunities to target
investments towards initiatives that address interrelated concerns across multiple dimensions.
Neighborhoods may also take the opportunity to identify variables where they are performing
well and build on those strengths as an integral foundation or catalyst towards continued
improvements in overall quality of life.
November 2014
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