Ecosystem Targets and Supporting Indicators

Sense of Place and Belonging Index

View Implementation Actions for Sense of Place and Belonging Index

Focus Question

Do people feel welcome and a sense belonging at sites along the Long Island Sound and its connecting water bodies?

Answer: To be determined. The importance of feeling a connection to the Sound and its waterways was underscored by the Long Island Sound community in the 2024 Public Perception Survey and the Needs Assessment Survey. One of the barriers the community voiced to feeling this connection is a weak sense of belonging. When coastal sites are restricted or feel exclusionary, the community’s connection to the Sound and ability to access the Sound’s valuable resources are limited. Given this public input, the Partnership elevated the importance of improving the community’s sense of belonging and established a baseline metric to evaluate the Partnership’s impact on this perception.

What Was Measured?

Questions from the 2024 Public Perception Survey were used to develop a Sense of Place and Belonging Index to measure the public’s physical and emotional connection to Long Island Sound and the water. The 2024 index score is a baseline measure that will be tracked in future surveys to see if there is an overall change in the public’s perception of having meaningful access to Long Island Sound. The four questions are:

Do you feel like you have convenient access to Long Island Sound or other waters near you? (68% yes)

When you think about all the other things you could be doing with your time, how important is it to you to have convenient access to the water for outdoor activities? (59% very or somewhat important)

If you are in parks or on trails near the water, do you feel welcome and a sense of belonging there? (77% always or usually)

I care about Long Island Sound.  (67% agree)

The region’s Sense of Place and Belonging Index averages these four indicators for an overall score of 68, meaning that about two-thirds of residents have a sense of place and belonging connected to the Sound.  Before the 2024 Public Perception Study, the last study was conducted in 2006 and, while it had some common questions, it does not provide a sufficient baseline for determining trends. Thus, the 2024 Sense of Place and Belonging index is likely to remain the baseline for this indicator, with the Long Island Sound Partnership aiming to increase the index over the next 10 years. 

Status and Trends

Fair

Uncertain

A baseline Sense of Place and Belonging Index of 68 was established using the input provided by the respondents of the 2024 Public Perception Survey. This baseline represents the average positive responses of four survey questions (see What Was Measured above). The Partnership intends to repeat this survey every 3-5 years to evaluate changes in this Sense of Belonging Index. The status will then be assessed, and progress will be reported through this indicator.

Data Notes

The Long Island Sound 2024 Public Perceptions Research Study was developed and conducted to assess residents’ perceptions, knowledge, attitudes, and behaviors related to the Sound. Sense of Place and Belonging is one of many metrics the Long Island Sound Partnership is assessing to ensure progress is being made in a critical category deemed important by the Long Island Sound community.