Survey says: We love the Riverwalk

A biennial survey of Downtown residents and workers reveals big love of the waterfront and a need for mobility options and more retail

Download the full 2020 Worker and Resident Survey Report

Download HCP Associates Condensed Presentation

TAMPA, Fla. – According to the Tampa Downtown Partnership’s biennial survey of residents and workers, the Riverwalk is by far Downtown Tampa’s greatest asset. The results of the 2020 survey will be presented virtually at the Partnership’s 25^th Downtown Development Forum on April 7^th, 2021.

Fifty-one percent of residents placed the Riverwalk as the top amenity, with the general waterfront coming in second at 17%. Workers gave the Riverwalk similar marks, with 42% saying it’s Downtown’s greatest asset and 18% citing waterfront access.

Both residents and workers identified retail as one of Downtown’s most significant needs, with residents making it their top priority and workers placing it number two behind parking.

Satisfaction with being able to get around on foot or via the streetcar has increased since previous surveys, with 57% of residents and 44% of workers saying they would still take the streetcar at the same frequency or slightly less if they had to pay a fare.

Both workers and residents say Downtown is not as accommodating to low-income individuals. Forty-five percent of Downtown residents make more than $150,000 a year, about three times Tampa’s median annual income.

Other statistics of note:

• 15% of Downtown residents have children; 68% have a dog
• 63% of residents moved Downtown from elsewhere in Hillsborough County
• 49% of Downtown workers and 59% of residents expect to work from home in some capacity post-pandemic
• 88% of Downtown workers and 89% of residents say addressing homelessness is important or very important
• 96% of residents say they are likely to recommend living Downtown
• 90% of workers say they would recommend working Downtown
• 50% of workers say they are interested in living Downtown in the next five years

The Downtown Worker and Resident Study for the Tampa Downtown Partnership was established as a baseline study by HCP Associates in 2008, making this the seventh edition of the survey.

For the second time, residents outnumbered workers in the survey, this time by 21 percent, with more than 1,064 residents participating. In 2018, 10% more residents than workers responded to the survey, with 624 participating.

This year’s survey, conducted between November 2nd, 2020 and January 15th, 2021, included questions to assess the impact of COVID-19. Results show that despite the pandemic, satisfaction and recommendation levels remain high. Working from home has impacted both groups, with most participants expecting to continue post-pandemic in a hybrid work environment. The pandemic possibly affected satisfaction with events and access to museums, the theater, and attractions, but the use of parks and the Riverwalk has stayed the same or increased.

Previous studies resulted in enhanced accessibility to the river, more waterfront dining, events in the parks, new museums and attractions, extended operating hours for transportation and merchants, full-service grocers, and more.