Young Gen Z residents share opinons on what Indianapolis should look like

A recent study takes an in depth look at how young adults view leisure and entertainment experiences in Indianapolis.

The first-ever study, “Gen Z Indy,”  was conducted by Visit Indy, IUPUI Sports Innovation Institute and SMARInsights.

Amy Vaughan, clinical assistant professor at IUPUI, said the study included more than 500 residents between the ages of 18 and 26.

“We just wanted to get a sense of, you know, what does the future hold for Indianapolis? And you know, these Gen Z folks, you know, they're our future. And we had some interesting results from the survey,” Vaughan said. “One of the things that struck me immediately is that Gen Z, they're very practical. What was important to them was a low cost of living, affordable housing, and job opportunities.”

Specific items that Gen Z residents found the most attractive included a riverwalk experience along the White River, urban adventure experiences — like ziplines, climbing structures — and a themed amusement park.

The study results also showed that Gen Z respondents compared Indianapolis as a place to visit for a leisure or fun trip against Louisville, Kentucy, Columbus, Ohio, and Nashville, Tennessee.
Vaughn said city officials would like to expand on the survey to determine how Gen Z could help shape future initiatives.

Contact WFYI Morning Edition newscaster and reporter Taylor Bennett at tbennett@wfyi.org. Follow on Twitter: @TaylorB2213.