Measure Description

Edmontonians’ Assessment: Access to Amenities and Services that Improve Quality of Life measures the percentage of respondents to the Edmontonians’ Perception Survey who report having access to amenities and services that will improve their quality of life. A third-party vendor conducts the survey by telephone. The methodology for this survey question has varied slightly in how the question has been introduced and presented each time it has been asked. The vendor also collects demographic data to assess whether participants reflect the population. Survey methodology and the demographic results are provided in the Appendix.

Measure Importance

Infrastructure is designed, operated and maintained to be accessible to all Edmontonians regardless of physical, geographic, demographic or socio-economic barriers. Public infrastructure ranges from buildings and parks to libraries and affordable housing, and from roads and bridges to light rail transit.

Historical Data

Data sources: Banister Research & Consulting Inc., Citizen Perception Survey (2010), Leger Citizen Perception Surveys (2012, 2013), Leger Edmontonians' Perception Survey (2014, 2015, 2016). Note: the survey was not conducted in 2011.

Explanation of Performance

In 2017, the majority (68 percent) of Edmontonians surveyed agreed or strongly agreed that they have access to infrastructure, amenities and services that improve their quality of life. This is largely consistent with the 2016 result.

Follow-up responses in the 2017 survey show that accessible parks, effective street lighting and sufficient library branches garner the strongest positive ratings. This result is consistent with previous survey findings, but satisfaction with the solid waste management system decreased from last year. Endorsements are relatively weaker on the management of commercial development, and the ability of the transit system to take people where they need to go.
The development of Breathe - Edmonton’s Green Network Strategy is one of the factors that may have increased citizen awareness of City services and amenities. The implementation of the Community and Recreation Facility Master Plan and the development of the Facility Renewal Strategy could improve citizen access to infrastructure, amenities and services that lead to an improved quality of life.

Useful Links

For information about the City's strategic plan, The Way Ahead: http://www.edmonton.ca/city_government/city_vision_and_strategic_plan/the-way-a_h_ead.aspx.