John S. and James L. Knight Foundation’s Soul of the Community study (SOTC) is a three-year study conducted by Gallup of the 26 John S. and James L. Knight Foundation communities across the United States employing a fresh approach to determine the factors that attach residents to their communities and the role of community attachment in an area’s economic growth and well-being. The study focuses on the emotional side of the connection between residents and their communities. The domains identified to drive community attachment most were social offerings, openness and aesthetics.
Access the findings here: http://www.knightfoundation.org/sotc/.