How “livable” is your city or town? Do you feel a sense of community? Are local businesses a positive reflection on your town?
Three students at Keene State College recently developed an assessment tool that measures six characteristics of town life that contribute to a positive or negative sense of livability. The students, Camille Martineau, Christa McGaha, and Brittany Smalanskas, all geography majors, conducted an inventory and survey of Marlborough, New Hampshire to determine just how livable that town is. The three presented their research at the annual meeting of the Association of American Geographers in Los Angeles and were awarded the Best International Undergraduate Student Paper Award for 2013. Dr. Christopher Cusack, Professor of Geography, served as the project supervisor.