Authors

• Miettinen, Heikki (Efeko)
• Kokkonen, Vesa (Efeko)
• Utriainen, Johanna (Efeko)

Keywords

Internet, child care, cultural activities, dissemination of information, everyday life, housing, medical care, municipalities, personal safety, physical activities, public services, recreational facilities, schoolchildren, towns

Abstract

The survey canvassed the citizens' views on the present state of city government and public services as well as developmental needs.

First, the respondents were presented with a set of attitudinal statements on municipal decision-making and services. Views on the organisation of information, health, social, education, and culture services in their municipality of residence were probed. In addition, services used by the respondents and their family members during the past year were canvassed. The respondents who had used municipal health services were asked how satisfied they had been with various aspects, such as getting an appointment, transport service, and the time of waiting at the reception. They were asked to select the most important development targets within the care of the elderly from alternatives such as old people's homes, municipal or private sheltered homes, and relative-assisted care of the elderly.

In view of municipal leisure services, the respondents were asked how many times they had used various services (e.g. library, movies and baths) in their municipality of residence or in other municipalities during the past year, and whether there were enough various leisure services (e.g. libraries, concerts, museums, sports events, restaurants and youth facilities) in their municipality of residence. They also rated their municipality's website. The respondents were presented with a list of problems related to coping with everyday life (e.g. unemployment, long-term lay-off, lack of time, illness or disability, and loneliness) and asked whether they or their family members had faced any of them and received or sought for help because of them.

The respondents were asked how long they had lived in their municipality of residence and residential area, what kind of a house and area they lived in, and what is the type of their accommodation. The respondents' satisfaction with their housing conditions and neighbourhood was also queried, as well as which factors affected their choice of residential area (e.g. good services, easy commuting, peacefulness of the area, and good chances of finding a job). The respondents were asked whether they felt safe walking in their neighbourhood or in the centre of their municipality during the day or at night, and how worried they were about becoming a victim of various crimes, such as theft, vandalism, or sex offence, in their municipality of residence.

The last questions revolved around child day care and children's school-going. The parents rated various characteristics of their children's kindergarten and school, including the co-operation between home and kindergarten/school, the proficiency of staff, and the size of groups/classes.

Background variables included the respondent's gender, age, municipality of residence, household composition, education, status in employment, and number of children.