Using Community Vision Surveys to determine what citizens want and whether they
are willing to invest public money to achieve it.

Jim Constantine of Looney Ricks Kiss, Inc., a national design, planning and research firm with offices in Memphis, Tennessee and Princeton, New Jersey, has developed an automated interactive Community Vision Survey using computer kiosks placed in a range of public and semi-public locations, and on the Internet.

A highly interactive interface used for a site in Hillsborough, New Jersey is shown here. The program asked citizens to choose from a range of possible streetscape improvements for their town's main street. Another sequence starts with a photograph of a degraded suburban strip in the town. Then, as viewers click on different urban design options, the picture evolves into a more pedestrian-friendly streetscape. They can see what the same place would look like with different street furniture and signage, with street trees and street lamps, with different parking arrangements, and with buildings placed at the sidewalk edge. Options are layered so viewers can mix and match them.

As part of the automated survey, participants were asked if they would be open to an increase in taxes to fund the changes they've expressed a preference for. About three-quarters of respondents indicated that they would pay additional taxes. Over 2,000 citizens responded to the survey. This 6% response rate from a 54-square mile community of 35,000 people is above average for most market research situations.

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