2018 Downtown Cincinnati Perceptions Survey
2 Executive Summary The Downtown Cincinnati Inc. Perceptions Survey provides honest and actionable feedback on the awareness, experiences, preferences and desired attributes of our urban core. The findings are enlightening, humbling and rewarding. This year, the results are presented en masse as well as deeper dives into the responses of millennials, African Americans and residents of downtown. The 2018 survey ran from August 6 until October 1. The survey was comprehensive and addressed key indicators including the overall impression of downtown, safety and cleanliness, friendliness, and accessibility. The Perceptions Survey was last completed in 2016. As such, this year s report also includes year-over-year analysis and trends to watch. All 4,107 responses collected were used in this executive summary, including abandoned surveys and participants who had not visited downtown in the past 12 months. Nearly 80% of respondents indicated that 2018 was the first time they completed the Perceptions Survey since 2013, and 1,123 respondents asked to be added to the Downtown Cincinnati Inc. distribution list. Executive Summary 81% have an overall either positive impression about the CBD Overall Impressions 70% have an overall positive impression about OTR 53% receive the Downtown Cincinnati Inc. newsletter or asked to sign-up The vast majority of respondents (81%) had a positive or very positive impression of the Central Business District (CBD), including The Banks. Although this percentage was as high as 84 in 2015, the 2018 percentage is the same as the five-year average. Seven out of 10 respondents (70%) had a positive or very positive impression of Over-the-Rhine (OTR). This percentage was as high as 91 in 2013 and represents a 21% decrease in the past five years. Almost unanimously (96%), respondents agreed or strongly agreed that having a vibrant downtown is important to the region, and 82% visited downtown six or more times in the past 12 months. About one third (33%) of the respondents spent more than $100 on their most recent experience downtown, which is down 9% from 2016. Also, 88% would recommend a visit to downtown Cincinnati to friends, colleagues and out-of-towners. Respondents identified 10 ways in which they learned about downtown; however, word-of-mouth, social media, and websites/blogs/newsletters were the most popular responses at 76%, 73% and 42% respectively. In fact, word-of-mouth (getting information about downtown from family and friends) is up 11% since 2015. The most popular destination activities for visiting downtown were restaurants, arts and entertainment, festivals, sporting events and outdoor activities such as parks, walking and Red Bike. Since 2016, restaurants/dining out remains the top destination. However, the new categories of arts and entertainment replaced The Banks as the second most popular destination activities in 2018, and sporting events. Sporting events dropped from third to fourth place with an overall reduction from almost 63% in 2016 to 54% in 2018.
3 Opinions About Safety and Cleanliness Approximately 71% of respondents agreed or strongly agreed they felt safe downtown. 1 This represents a 7% decrease since 2016 and a 10% decrease since 2015. Additionally, 70% agreed or strongly agreed there was a visible police presence downtown, a 5% decrease since 2016 and a 7% decrease since 2015. This year, female respondents felt slightly safer downtown (63%) than their male counterparts (61%). Opinions about cleanliness are decreasing. In 2018, 69% of respondents agreed or strongly agreed downtown was clean and odor free. This represents a 21% decrease since 2016 and a 24% decrease since 2015. Those who agreed or strongly agreed that Downtown Ambassadors were visible decreased from a five-year high of 63% in 2016 to 39% in 2018; however, 25% had no opinion. Similarly, those who agreed or strongly agreed Downtown Ambassadors were friendly and helpful was 35% with 56% having no opinion. 1 The Fifth Third Center shooting incident occurred on September 6, 2018. 71% agreed or strongly agreed agreed downtown was safe 69% agreed or strongly agreed downtown was clean 70% or strongly agreed there was a visible police presence downtown Safe and Clean
4 Thoughts About Accessibility and Parking Visitors have more options to get around than ever before. About 77% of respondents agreed or strongly agreed that downtown was accessible and easy to get to desired locations. Plus, 75% agreed or strongly agreed that downtown has a variety of transportation options to get around downtown easily. About 67% of respondents agreed or strongly agreed that downtown has a variety of parking options, and parking was one of the most popular responses when asked about areas of improvement in downtown. For the first time, the perceptions survey asked about the Cincinnati Bell Connector. We found that 34% of respondents indicated that they had ridden the streetcar in the past 12 months. Also, 40% agreed or strongly agreed that downtown was bikefriendly, however, this is down from 54% in 2016. Thoughts & Perceptions Perceptions of Friendliness When it comes to being welcoming and friendly, downtown Cincinnati is improving in some areas and declining in others. Downtown is becoming more family friendly, as 74% of all respondents and 74% of respondents who indicated they had responsibility for children under 18 years of age agreed or strongly agreed that downtown was family friendly. This represents a five-year high for family-friendliness and a 10% increase since 2014. Downtown is also becoming more gay-friendly as 53% of all respondents agreed or strongly agreed that the urban core was gay-friendly. This represents a slow but steady increase from the five-year low of 48%. Additionally, 52% of all respondents agreed or strongly agreed that downtown was pet-friendly. What is more, 62% of those respondents who lived downtown and have a pet agreed or strongly agreed that downtown was pet-friendly. This year, 63% of all respondents agreed or strongly agreed that downtown was welcoming to all ethnic groups, which is a decrease from the five-year high of 67% in 2013. In comparison, 54% of those respondents who identified themselves as a race other than Caucasian (presumably ethnically diverse) agreed or strongly agreed that downtown was welcoming to all ethnic groups. This represents a 9% difference in the perceptions of Caucasian and non-caucasian respondents.
5 Demographic Comparison 2013 2018 I have been quite pleased over the years to see the downtown area coming back to life! We have such an awesome location on the river and such an interesting history. Our skyline is gorgeous! (Sorry Columbus.) The Banks development is fantastic. The OTR renaissance is probably the best thing to happen to the city in a long time. Nothing is more important than having a vibrant downtown in the heart of the city! Caucasian male, 51 65 years old 88% of respondents never were ages 22 65. 2013 2014 2015 2016 2018 Survey Available 6.5 Weeks 6 Weeks 8.5 Weeks 8 Weeks 8 Weeks Total Responses 2,103 2,979 2,797 2,469 4,107 Diversity (Non-Caucasian Respondents) 19% 28% 26% 19.4% 38% Income <$50,000 68% 56% 62% 65% 68% Work Downtown 38% 29% 42% 38% 27% Live Downtown 11% 12% 12% 12% 15% Responsible for children under 18 26% 26% 28% 25% 34% 69% of respondents have lived in Cincinnati for more than 20 years. 80% completed a previous DCI perceptions study. Demographic Comparison
6 Fast Fact: Eleven percent used the Downtown Cincinnati Mobile App, and there were 1,026 new downloads in September 2018. Key Indicators 2013 2018 Key Indicators Positive Impressions of CBD (agree or strongly agree) Positive Impressions of OTR (agree or strongly agree) Reported visiting downtown more than 20 times in the past year Spent more than $100 on most recent visit downtown 2013 2014 2015 2016 2018 81% 79% 84% 78% 81% 91% 75% 77% 75% 70% 54% 38% 44% 47% 51% 20% 45% 34% 40% 33% Overall is safe (agree or strongly agree) 70% 76% 81% 78% 71% Overall is clean (agree or strongly agree) 72% 78% 83% 80% 69% Ambassadors are visible (agree or strongly agree) 62% 61% 61% 63% 38% Police are visible (agree or strongly agree) 63% 72% 77% 75% 70% Negatively impacted by panhandling (agree or strongly agree) 47% 56% 59% 67% 47% I love being by the river. I love the history, architecture, people and parks. I love looking at all the improvements and beautiful homes. African American female, 22 35 years old
Key Indicators by Weighted Average 7 Having a vibrant downtown is important to our region 4.63 Has a variety of dining options 4.27 Has a variety of arts, culture, performances, theatre, museums, comedians, concerts Would recommend downtown Cincinnati to friends, colleagues and out-of-towners Has a variety of festivals, parades, outdoor activities 4.11 4.23 4.20 Has a variety of bars/clubs 4.02 Has a variety of free music, movies and holiday events 3.91 Is welcoming to out-of-towners 3.88 Has a variety of transportation options to get around downtown easily 3.80 Is accessible and easy to get to desired locations within downtown 3.76 Is family-friendly 3.74 Has a visible police presence 3.67 Feel safe from physical harm 3.63 Is LGBTQ-friendly 3.59 Is welcoming to all racial and ethnic groups 3.57 Is clean and odor free 3.52 Is pet-friendly 3.49 Downtown Ambassadors are friendly and helpful 3.37 Has a variety of parking options 3.44 Is bike friendly 3.22 Experiences negatively impacted by panhandlers verbally asking for money 3.16 Downtown Ambassadors are visible 3.00 Has a variety of shopping options 2.66 Note: The weighted average, as calculated by Survey Monkey, is a traditional tool to analyze and report scale questions. The scale ranges from 1 to 5 with 5 being the highest. This method considers all responses rather than the top two responses for a more comprehensive rating of all responses. Key Indicators
8 Positive Overall Impression of Central Business District and Over-the-Rhine The chart below compares the overall positive impressions of the Central Business District (CBD) and Over-the-Rhine (OTR) by race, gender and age. 100% 90% 80% 70% 60% 50% 40% 30% 20% 10% 0% 87% 85% 84% 81% 79% 83% 81% 82% 79% 72% 69% 76% 74% 76% 68% 70% 71% 58% White AA Female Male 18 21 22 35 36 50 51 65 66+ CBD OTR Overall Impression Positive overall impressions of CBD increased from 2016 to 2018 in every demographic group. 1 This year, men and respondents ages 36 50 had the highest favorability of CBD with 85% and 84% respectively. Respondents ages 18 21 had one of the lowest favorability of CBD (74%); however, this represents a 10% increase with similar age groups (18 24) in 2016. Positive overall impressions of OTR decreased from 2016 to 2018 in every demographic group except men (74% to 76%) and those ages 66+ (68% to 71%). This year, respondents ages 18 21 had the highest favorability of OTR (79%); however, this represents at 2% decrease with similar age groups (18 24) in 2016. Favorability for OTR among women decreased by 10% since 2016. Additionally, favorability among respondents ages 22 35 decreased 5% compared to respondents of similar ages (25 34) in the past two years. As was the case in 2016, African Americans had the lowest favorability for both CBD (72%) and OTR (58%). This represents an 8% favorability increase for CBD and a 10% favorability decrease for OTR. 1 Age ranges changed from 18 24, 25 34, 35 44, 45 54, 55 59, 60 64 and 65+ in 2016 to 18 24, 22 35, 36 50, 51 65 and 66+ in 2018.
9Activities Activities experienced in Downtown Cincinnati in past 12 months The chart below lists the most popular activities experienced in downtown Cincinnati by respondents in the past 12 months. Other responses included weddings, tours, marches and protests. Restaurants/Bars/Clubs/Casino Arts/Culture/Performances/Concerts Festivals/Parades/Outdoor Activities Sporting Events Work/Work-Related Activities Parks/Walks/Runs/Exercise Free Music/Movies/Holiday Events Shopping Cincinnati Bell Connector Non-Work-Related Meetings and Activities Charitable Events/Volunteer Visiting a Downtown Resident Government/Professional Services Trade Shows and Conferences Religious Services Other 5% 9% 41% 38% 34% 32% 24% 23% 23% 17% 59% 54% 52% 49% 72% 84% 0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70% 80% 90% I love the variety of people you can find in Cincinnati the surrounding areas breathe such great diversity of people and make it unique. Cincinnati has great neighborhoods and so many opportunities to support communities within them. Caucasian male, 18 21 years old
10 What We Love About Downtown Cincinnati With an open-ended question, we asked respondents what they love about downtown Cincinnati. We analyzed and categorized 1,652 responses into the top 10 things respondents loved about our urban core and included a word cloud analysis that highlights the most common themes. Parks 8.60% Restaurants 7.08% People 6.90% Fountain Square 6.00% Arts 5.15% The Banks 5.15% Variety 4.66% Architecture 4.60% Events 4.42% OTR 3.75% 0% 1% 2% 3% 4% 5% 6% 7% 8% 9% 10% great vibrant Banks OTRpeople seedowntown eventspark architecture love go city lotsrestaurants options Fountain Squareactivities arts variety What We Love Even when no big events or festivals are happening, there is still something to explore, arts/culture, new stores or restaurants. Asian female, 36 50 years old
11 I also want more economic, lifestyle and racial diversity when I visit a city s downtown. That would make downtown Cincinnati more interesting. Caucasian male, 51 65 years old Ways to Improve Downtown Cincinnati With an open-ended question, we asked respondents how to improve downtown Cincinnati. We analyzed and categorized 1,956 responses into the top 10 things respondents wanted to improve about our urban core and included a word cloud analysis that highlights the most common themes. Parking 12.12% Shopping 7.57% People 6.08% Panhandlers 4.14% Streetcar 3.37% Clean 3.07% Homeless 2.97% Events 2.91% Restaurants 2.45% OTR 2.45% 0% 2% 4% 6% 8% 10% 12% 14% panhandlers OTR need events make homeless better go downtown streetcar parking clean shopping places people options city restaurants street area Ways to Improve
12 Millennials Millennials ages 22 35 had a higher overall positive impression of downtown compared to all other age demographics. When asked, What is your overall impression of downtown Cincinnati?, Millennials exceeded non-millennials 83% to 81% for the CBD and 76% to 68% for OTR. Generally, the 803 respondents (23%) who identified as ages 22 35 enjoyed the same downtown activities as all other respondents; however, Millennials participated in these activities more often than non-millennials. The chart below shows how Millennials ages 22 35 spent their time downtown. Downtown Activities in the Past 12 Months Millennials vs. Non-Millennials 100% 90% 90% 80% 70% 60% 50% 40% 83% 73% 72% 68% 58% 62% 53% 63% 49% 64% 46% 48% 42% 41% 33% 30% 20% 10% 29% 37% 34% 21% 0% Restaurants/ Bars/Clubs/Casino Arts/Culture/Performances/ Theatre/Museums/ Comedy/Concerts Festivals/Parades/ Outdoor Activities Sporting Events Work/Work-Related Activities Parks/Walks/Runs/ Exercise/Gym/Red Bike Free Music/Movies/ Holiday Events Shopping Cincinnati Bell Connector Visiting a Downtown Resident Millennials Non-Millennials Millennials Millennials were quite vocal when asked the open-ended question, If you could improve one thing about downtown Cincinnati, what would it be? More than 48% offered a response, and very similar to non-millennials, the most common subjects for improvement were parking, shopping, streetcar, homeless, housing and transportation.
13 I could go on and on. I love the parks. I love that I can easily get around, and on every street corner, you have an amazing view. Cincinnati is my most photographed subject. I love how aesthetically pleasing it is too. People from all over the nation recognize the beauty of this city, and I am happy to see it getting recognized by major publications. Cincinnati is my forever home! Caucasian female, 22 35 years old I love that there are so many things to do downtown. I can park and find things to do whether it s entertainment, eating or just viewing the city. I love the murals all over the place as well. African American female, 22 35 years old Love the little features by the river. The kids love it, and it s great when going to a football game. The carousel adds a nice touch and makes for good family days. Hispanic male, 22 35 years old 85% vs. 74% get information about downtown Cincinnati from word-of-mouth 86% vs. 71% get information about downtown Cincinnati from social media 31% vs. 18% spend $26 $50 on their last visit to downtown Cincinnati Millennials
14 African Americans As was the case in 2016, African Americans had the lowest favorability for both CBD (72%) and OTR (58%). This represents an 8% favorability increase for CBD and a 10% favorability decrease for OTR. The responses of the 924 respondents (26%) who identified as African American often differed from non-african American respondents as illustrated in the charts below. Perceptions and Key Indicators African Americans 21 or more visits in the past 12 months 40% 59% Spent $0 $50 during most recent visit 39% 32% Overall Positive Impression of CBD 72% 85% Overall Positive Impression of OTR 58% 74% Overall Agree that downtown is welcoming to all racial and ethnic groups Overall Agree to recommend a visit to downtown to friends, colleagues and out-of-towners 54% 68% 83% 90% Non-African Americans African Americans Overall Agree on Variety of Downtown Cincinnati Options African Americans Dining 82% 94% Arts/Culture/Entertainment 82% 93% Festivals/Parades/Outdoor Activities 82% 91% Bars/Clubs 71% 84% Shopping 26% 33% Free Music, Movies, Holiday Events 79% 78% Non-African Americans
What African Americans and non-african Americans Love About Downtown Cincinnati 15 When non-african Americans were asked the open-ended question, Please tell us what you love about downtown Cincinnati, the most frequent responses were restaurants, people, parks and architecture. When African Americans were asked the same open-ended question, the most frequent responses were Fountain Square, The Banks, free events and restaurants. Downtown Activities in the Past 12 Months African Americans vs. Non-African Americans 100% 90% 80% 70% 60% 50% 40% 30% 20% 10% 0% 90% 74% Restaurants/ Bars/Clubs/Casino 75% 65% Arts/Culture/Performances/ Theatre/Museums/ Comedy/Concerts African Americans 61% 59% Festivals/Parades/ Outdoor Activities 61% 38% Sporting Events Non-African Americans 58% 38% Free Music/Movies/ Holiday Events What African Americans and non-african Americans Want to Improve About Downtown Cincinnati When non-african Americans were asked the open-ended question, If you could improve one thing about downtown Cincinnati, what would it be?, the most frequent responses were parking, people, shopping and panhandling. Similar to the non-african American respondents, the most frequent responses from African Americans were parking, people, shopping and restaurants. The difference in the sentiments of African American respondents is the reference of terms such as diverse, diversity and inclusion as illustrated in the word cloud analysis of the openended responses that do not appear in the analysis of responses from non-african American respondents. African Americans
16 Residents of Downtown Cincinnati Residents of downtown Cincinnati are crucial to the vitality of the community. Almost 15% (517) of the respondents were residents of zip code 45202. Below you will find the respondents thoughts and impressions of living downtown as well as demographics such as owning vs. renting and pets in the household. Impressions of Living in Downtown Cincinnati Welcoming, safe green space 3.64 Good cost of living 3.55 Strong sense of community 3.51 Amenities and businesses to support residential life Affordable and convenient parking for visitors Affordable and convenient parking for residents 2.93 3.07 3.38 0 0.5 1 1.5 2 2.5 3 3.5 4 Downtown Residents Own vs. Rent Primary Downtown Residence 45% Own 55% Rent I love the restaurants, parks, walking to KY, free museums and BLINK was awesome. I love all the various theatre and arts options. I love, love the Main Library! Female downtown resident, 36 50 years old
Thoughts About Living Downtown With an open-ended question, we asked respondents their thoughts about living downtown. We analyzed and categorized 209 responses and found that parking, walking and people were the most popular subjects of the responses. 56% of respondents lived downtown for five years or less. 17 make walkgreat lotliving work parking peopleneed living downtownlove wishdowntown see betterresidents city enjoy years love living downtown The availability to walk or take the connector anywhere I want to go. The abundance of activities to choose from. The safety and our police presence. Caucasian female downtown resident, 66+ years old Pets in the Households of Downtown Residents 28% Dog 55% None 21% Cat 1% Other Downtown Residents
18 Trends to Watch A comprehensive analysis of this year s findings identified several trends about the perceptions of downtown Cincinnati that should be monitored. An Action Plan to address these trends, developed by the DCI staff and board, will be prepared and distributed during First Quarter 2019. Awareness Respondents identified 10 ways in which they learned about downtown. Wordof-mouth, social media, and websites/blogs/newsletters were the most popular responses at 76%, 73% and 42% respectively. In fact, awareness by word-of-mouth is up 11% from 2015. OTR Seven out of 10 respondents (70%) had a positive or very positive impression of Over-the-Rhine (OTR). This percentage was as high as 91 in 2013 and represents a 21% decrease in five years. Respondents ages 18 21 had the highest favorability for OTR (79%). Favorability for OTR among women decreased from 77% in 2016 to 69% in 2018. As was the case in 2016, African Americans have the lowest favorability for OTR (58%), representing a 10% decrease in two years. Spending Trends to Watch The percentage of respondents who spent more than $100 on their most recent visit to downtown was as low as 20% in 2013 and as high as 45% in 2014. This year, 33% spent more than $100 on their most recent visit to downtown, a 7% decrease from 2016. Safety and Cleanliness Overall impressions of safety in downtown decreased from 81% in 2015 to 78% in 2016 to 71% in 2018. 1 Overall impressions of cleanliness in downtown decreased from 83% in 2015 to 80% in 2016 to 69% in 2018. 1 The Fifth Third Center shooting incident occurred on September 6, 2018.
19Trends to Watch Panhandling The percentage of respondents who agreed or strongly agreed that their downtown experiences were negatively impacted by panhandlers decreased from 67% in 2016 to 47% in 2018. When respondents were asked if their experiences were negatively impacted by panhandlers verbally asking for money, the average weighted score was 3.16 on a scale from one to five (with one being the lowest and five being the highest). Of the top 23 key indicators used to describe experiences downtown, panhandlers verbally asking for money ranked 21, just above having a variety of shopping options. Lunch Options In 2016, respondents who work downtown were asked, When you work downtown, what do you typically do during lunch? At that time, 42% packed lunch and ate at work. An additional 21% picked up food from a fast food/fast casual restaurant. Plus, 17% dined in a restaurant, and 2% left downtown during lunch. When the same question was asked in 2018, 54% packed lunch or ate at work (up 12% in two years). As was the case in 2016, 21% picked up food from a fast food/fast casual restaurant. Dining in a restaurant fell six points to 11%. Most notably, 12% of the 2018 respondents indicated that they used other options for lunch meals including Uber Eats and food delivery services. Inclusion The perception that downtown is welcoming to all ethnic groups has steadily decreased from a high of 67% in 2013 to a low of 63% in 2018. A deeper dive into this trend revealed that, in 2018, 70% of the Caucasian respondents agreed or strongly agreed that downtown was welcoming to all ethnic groups. In contrast, 54% of the non-caucasian respondents (presumably ethnically diverse) agreed or strongly agreed that downtown was welcoming to all ethnic groups. This represents a 16-point difference in how Caucasians and non-caucasians perceive the experiences of ethnic groups in downtown. Overall positive impressions of CBD and OTR were the lowest among African Americans in 2016 and 2018. Fewer African Americans visited downtown 21 or more times in the past 12 months than non-african Americans. This demographic enjoyed fewer dining, arts/culture/entertainment, festivals/parades/outdoor activities, bars/ clubs and shopping than non-african Americans. This demographic also reported spending $0-$50 during their most recent visit more often than non-african Americans and enjoyed more free music, movies and holiday events than all other ethnic groups.
20 Methodology The 2018 Perceptions Survey was commissioned by Downtown Cincinnati Inc. (DCI) to gather honest and actionable feedback on the awareness, experiences, preferences and desired attributes of our urban core. The findings and recommendations are intended to help DCI continue to make downtown Cincinnati a desired and fun destination for residents and visitors. The Voice of Your Customer, a certified minority- and woman-owned marketing consulting firm, conducted the survey online as well as using intercepts at the 2018 Midwest Black Family Reunion. The Voice of Your Customer then assimilated the data, analyzed the results and prepared this report. Respondents were invited via DCI s database and social media followers, board members and partners, and promotional items. Respondents were also invited via The Voice of Your Customer s database and social media followers. Additionally, information about the survey appeared in local niche media and newsletters. Special thanks to Movers and Makers, Cincinnati Business Courier and the many arts organizations that included the survey in their publications. Respondents answers remained anonymous and unattributed to any individual. Thank you to the following individuals and organizations for the use of their photography: ArtsWave Brian Douglas Cincinnati Police Department Cincinnati USA Regional Chamber Mikki Schaffner Nick Ziegler VIBE Cincinnati Methodology downtowncincinnati.com