Conclusions
A few non-downtown business owners and some Northfield citizens
defined their sense of community through economic concerns. These individuals
had difficulty speaking about their own sense of community in Northfield.
They valued certain aspects about Northfield, such as the slower pace of life
in the community of Northfield. However, their main concern is that Northfield
needs to develop and be more competive by having more major retail stores.
These stores can offer people lower prices and an increased variety of goods.
To them, price saving is more important then the sense of community to be
gained in downtown Northfield. In their opinion, stores like Jacobsen's
will inevitably close because they cannot compete with the price competition of
other large, retailers in the area.
Much more research could be focused on investigating what aspects
of the physical design of cities influence people's sense of community.
This gap in the literature may stem from the fact that it is very challenging
for researchers to quanitatively analyze the degree to which people experience
a sense of community. It is hard for people living within a community to
define what features create their sense of community. However, a few researchers
have found that specific factors of community design positively influence people's
sense of community. These factors include the pedestrian friendly status
of a community, multifunctional downtowns, historic communities and positive waterfront
development. Many of the respondents spoke about the value of one
or all of these factors in contributing to their sense of community in Northfield.
I believe that all of these factors play a significant role in contributing to
people's sense of community. However, it is difficult for people living
within a community to realize what creates their sense of community.
Many respondents voiced that their sense of community is heavily influenced by
their experiences at particular shops or restaurants in downtown Northfield.
However, there are other factors that contribute to a person's sense of community.
A common occurrence in downtown Northfield: people walking down the street.
Jacobsen's Department Store has set the
standard for treating their cutomers as family and friends. The interactions
and the way of business at Jacobsen's has influenced the way other store owners
lead their businesses. There are many other businesses in downtown Northfield
that do the same for their valued customers. This makes visiting the downtown
area an uplifting, friendly and comfortable experience. The personality
and friendliness of the people in general has created the type of community
where people feel welcomed and accepted. People's sense of community
is also positively impacted by the physical design of downtown Northfield. The
design of Northfield is created by the historic sense of place of the architecture,
the multiple functions that are served in the downtown area, the pedestrain
friendly status and the location of downtown Northfield along the Cannon River.
Overall, many people value Northfield for the sense of community it offers
both its citizens and visitors.
Return to Main Page.