What Vermonters Think
Vermonter Poll
Need to run to the store for milk? For most of us, that means getting in our car and driving to the supermarket. The same is true for getting to work or school, renting a video, or going out for a meal. In fact, we are spending more and more time in our cars driving to our jobs, strip malls and big box stores. Despite this trend, the annual Vermonter Poll, conducted by the University of Vermont's Center for Rural Studies in cooperation with Smart Growth Vermont, indicates Vermonters do not want sprawl and believe action should be taken to stop it.
The Poll also reveals that homebuyers are finding it difficult to find affordable homes in and around downtowns and village centers. While some people prefer the rural experience, the market is not providing many Vermonters with what they want — communities where they can walk to work and shops.
Have you heard of sprawl development?
Due to a combination of educational efforts and the day-to-day impacts of scattered development, Vermonters are increasingly aware of sprawl. From 1998 to 2005, the percentage of respondents who have heard of sprawl increased from 50% to nearly 80%. That percentage has dropped slightly in subsequent years and was approximately 73% in 2009.
Do you feel that action should be taken to stop sprawl in Vermont?
Understanding that sprawl is a critical issue, more than two out of every three respondents (69%) in 2009 felt that action should be taken to stop sprawl. This is down slightly from the 78% of respondents who felt this way in 2005.
How likely is it that current trends in development and land use will lead to sprawl in Vermont?
Not only are the majority of Vermonters aware of sprawl and feel that action should be taken to address it, but in 2009, 61% were concerned that existing development patterns will lead to more sprawlling development in the future. As with other trends in the poll, this is has been declining since 2005, when over 81% of respondents felt that current development trends will lead to sprawl.
Given two options — if money were not object — would you purchase a home in an urban or village setting close to transit, work and shopping, or a larger home in an outlying area with more space, but a larger commute?
Vermonters are increasingly aware that our own choices are important in shaping Vermont's development patterns. In 1998, only 21% of respondents would choose a home in an urban or village setting. In 2009, over 42% were willing to trade a larger home in a rural setting for an in-town location closer to services — a trend that will likely continue as people spend more time in their cars and oil prices increase.
In fast-growing Chittenden County, the desire to live in town within walking or biking distance of jobs, schools and services is growing. Now almost 2 out of 3 people would prefer a home in an urban or village setting. Polling results have varied from a low of 52% in 2008 and a high this year of 62%. Outside Chittenden County, fewer people would choose the smaller home in a village or urban center, but the number is rising. In 2007, only 22% would choose that option, while in 2009, the number has almost doubled to 38%.
- Inside Chittenden County
- Outside Chittenden County
Where do you think residential development should occur?
Regardless of personal preference, Vermonters favor building homes where neighborhoods already are built. Nearly 90% of respondents in 2007 think residential development should occur in or adjacent to existing downtowns or residential neighborhoods. This overwhelming support for concentrating housing in and adjacent to existing neighborhoods exists both inside and outside of Chittenden County.
Where would you prefer to shop for items you need?
Vermonters indicate a strong preference (over 80% of all respondents) for shopping in their neighborhood or in a downtown and village centers. Only 10% of respondents statewide prefer to shop at big box stores.
This preference is, if anything, a little stronger for those living inside of Chittenden County, with almost 85% preferring to shop in their neighborhood or in a downtown or village center in 2009. Similarly, about 80% of respondents outside of Chittenden County prefer to shop in a neighborhood or a downtown location.
- Inside Chittenden County
- Outside Chittenden County