Survey

Background

The survey targeted university students and recent college graduates. E-mail invitations were sent to enrolled students and alumni lists by the Universities to visit a web site at www.michigancoolcities.com to complete a survey about needs, wants and preferences for a place to live and work. By the end of April, 2004, over 13,500 surveys had been completed.

Survey Goals

Study Michigan university students and recent graduates in order to:

1. Help create a Michigan Approach called "Cool Cities".
2. Develop information to help Michigan cities use the Cool Cities Initiative as an economic development strategy.
3. Support marketing strategies to create buzz.

The study identifies attributes and needs unique to Michigan. It helps define which parts of Creative Class Theory as set out by Richard Florida in Rise of the Creative Class Michigan should implement in order to be successful. It also identifies other important issues in becoming Cool Cities that were not included in Creative Class theory. This becomes the basis for the Michigan Approach called "Cool Cities."