Summary of Findings

Residents Who Live Closest to Downtown View the Area in a More Positive Light, Possibly Because They Don’t Need to Drive There

Residents Who Live Further Away Have a Less-Than-Rosy View of Downtown West Palm Beach and Could Benefit From Learning More About the Area’s Strengths

Residents who live more than a mile away from Downtown are far less likely to recommend the area as a dining, shopping, and entertainment destination and less likely to visit the area themselves. Those who live more than 5 miles out are also less optimistic about the future of downtown West Palm Beach as an urban destination.

The Most Common Complaints About The Area Revolve Around Parking and Traffic

The difficulty of finding parking, cost of parking, and traffic continue to be top complaints. Additionally, ratings for parking availability and fees have declined sharply since 2019, especially among residents who live further than 10 miles from Downtown.

Improving perceptions on parking – especially among those who live further away and would need to drive to the area – would encourage more visitation in the future.

Residents Are Still Wary of COVID, But Looking to Get Out of the House After Two Years In Lock Down

Residents Aren’t Yet Fully Confident That They Won’t Be Exposed to COVID While Visiting Downtown and Likely Chose Their Activities Accordingly

Residents who live closest to downtown are least likely to be concerned about exposure to the virus, but even then, more than half of Sector 1 residents gave middling ratings for their perceived safety. Perhaps it is for this reason that many of residents’ most recent visits were activities that could be done outdoors – events, dining, and exploring municipal/community offerings.

Use TV Advertising to Get the Word Out About Area Offerings, Especially Any that Can Be Done Safely Outdoors

While residents heavily use both TV and social media to learn about local news and events, those who live further away tend to rely more heavily on TV. Since this group needs more encouragement to visit the area than those who live closer, this is the channel to focus more effort on. When communicating via social media, focus on Facebook/Meta – this platform is especially popular among those living more than a mile away from Downtown. Emphasize events and activities that can be done outdoors with social distancing and be sure point residents to clear and easy parking instructions whenever possible.