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Thoughts on the findings in Wichita

September 28, 2009

Anne Corriston is Knight’s program director for Wichita.

First, a disclaimer. I have lived in Wichita my entire life, so I certainly can't call myself an outsider.

And I love my life here, so I'm already very emotionally attached to my community. Here's my Top Ten List of things I love about Wichita:

  1. Four seasons, although a little less winter and a little more spring would certainly be okay with me.
  2. Short commutes - we're ranked in the October Reader's Digest as the least congested US city with only six hours of time lost per driver annually.
  3. Friendly people.
  4. Il Vicino, Bella Luna Cafe, Watermark Books - cool eating and reading spots.
  5. The guys who put together the ROK ICT website.
  6. Cheney Lake - one of the top inland lakes anywhere, great for sailing.
  7. Single-engine airplanes and jets flying overhead, reminding me we're the aviation capital of the world.
  8. Chisholm Creek Park.
  9. Cero's Candies and Monica's Bundt Cakes
  10. The Spice Merchant for coffee and tea.

But I'm not everyone. What do others think and feel about Wichita?

According to Gallup's Soul of the Community survey, plenty. We highly value college education and health care, and we're doing a great job with both. But we could be better at a few things, too. We could be more welcoming to college graduates and have even more social offerings - fun places where people can meet. We could improve the aesthetics, particularly natural settings.

Gallup's study tells us a lot about how Wichita is perceived. It doesn't tell us how to improve our standings when we're surveyed again in 2010. That's something we have to figure out for ourselves.

What's on your Top Ten? What's on your "Needs Improvement" 10? And how would you make Wichita a place where people feel attached, connected, welcomed? I welcome your comments on this blog.

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Discover the soul of your community

Great schools, affordable health care and safe streets all help create strong communities. But is there something deeper that draws people to a city – that makes them want to put down roots and build a life?