Annual Quality Of Life Report Released

A lack of jobs because of the struggling economy, increasing social challenges and a city that’s too spread out are three themes threatening the quality of life in the Colorado Springs area, according to an annual report released Friday.

The 2011 Quality of Life Indicators for the Pikes Peak Region has been determined by a cross-section of local leaders. An audience gathered at the Community Partnership for Child Development on Robinson Street to learn details of the report.

The fifth-annual report found eight “gold stars,” or factors supporting a good quality of life, and 21 “red flags,” threatening the quality of life. The report compares the city’s variables with those in Albuquerque, N.M.; Austin, Texas.; and Omaha, Neb.

Among the pluses, the report finds Colorado Springs to be an affordable place to live; to be a more tolerant community and to be more bicycle-friendly. Conversely, according to the study, the area lacks high-paying jobs, continues to have a high suicide rate and needs a greater population density to make providing services more efficient and less expensive.

To see the report online, visit pikespeakqualityoflife.org.