The Westshore Alliance is a member-based organization comprised of business and community leaders. It was founded in 1983 to promote, shape future growth, and foster prosperity of the rapidly growing Westshore Business District.
Westshore encompasses approximately 10 square miles, including a workforce of 97,000 strong and a growing residential population of approximately 15,000. Additionally, the district’s proximity to world-class shopping, entertainment, and restaurants has quickly diversified Westshore from a premier 9-5 office district to a major mixed-use community, attracting millions of visitors each year. Since 2010, the resident population has grown by 25%, and the worker population has grown by 35%.
The Westshore Alliance approved an agreement between the organization and HCP Associates to conduct a baseline study of the Westshore Business District to identify and understand community needs. The organization looked to HCP Associates for a repeatable method that would enable the study’s facilitation every two years to provide a continual pulse of community sentiments.
There were key factors that need to be understood to gain a big picture of the area and quality of life. An online survey was fielded and included questions to gauge satisfaction with amenities and assets. Other questions also enabled respondents to weigh in on improvements to be made. The stakeholders that participated included: residents, workers, major employers, and Alliance members.
HCP Associates research team designed the questionnaire in collaboration with Westshore Alliance leadership, distributed the survey to prospective respondents, analyzed the data, provided findings to Alliance leadership, and presented at the Westshore Alliance’s Annual Development Forum.
Top assets named by respondents included: the central location of the district, airport and highway access, safety, retail, shopping, and entertainment. The district offers many amenities to reinforce that live/work/play lifestyle. There is high satisfaction among workers and residents—94% of workers are likely to recommend Westshore as a place to work, while 98% of residents are likely to recommend Westshore as a place to live.
Stakeholders believe that there is still room for improvement. Topics for future focus include: traffic flow and circulation, walkability, green spaces, and trails for walking and bicycling.
Stakeholder feedback is highly valued by the Westshore Alliance and was successful through the organization’s support, its members, and the community it represents.