DAS—Operations
The University of Michigan provides administrative and technical support for the annual survey and subsidizes the cost of collecting 300-400 face-to-face interviews. Typically, household interviews averaging 60 minutes in length and are conducted in Wayne, Oakland, and Macomb counties. Because of their interest in determining how our communities impact on the quality of life of individuals and families throughout southeast Michigan, private organizations and federal, state, regional and county governments are supporting an expanded DAS in 2001.

DAS 2001—Quality of Life in the Metro Detroit Area
DAS 2001 is different from earlier DAS surveys in several ways. First, the study has been expanded from three to seven counties in southeast Michigan, often referred to as the metro Detroit area. That is, the study will be contacting residents in Livingston, Macomb, Monroe, Oakland, St. Clair, Wayne, and Washtenaw counties and in the city of Detroit. Second, The number of people contacted is greatly increased using a combination of face-to-face interviews and questionnaires sent by mail. Over 4000 households in the region are being contacted. Third, the questionnaires have been designed in consultation with stakeholder groups representing government, industry, and non-profit organizations in the region. Finally, environmental and community indicators associated with the sampled households are being compiled and analyzed (along with the survey responses) using statistical and spatial analytic techniques including Geographic Information Systems (GIS).

Quality of Community Life
Quality of life and in particular, the quality of community life theme was last investigated in the 1980 DAS although a number of relevant questions have been included in subsequent regional surveys. Quality of community life is an issue of critical important to not only the city of Detroit but to the entire region. Both have changed dramatically over the past few decades. Population shifts including a smaller central city and expanding suburbs, diminishing agricultural lands and open space, more highways, less crime, and increases in living standards have characterized the metro Detroit area. At the same time, inequities persist in housing, public services including educational systems, access to jobs, and environmental quality. Many of these phenomena have been (or can be) documented, and all impact on the quality of life of residents throughout the region. But is the public aware of these changes and conditions? And does the public view these changes positively or negatively? Similarly, is there an association between the objective indicators of change and changes in public opinions and actions? The 2001 DAS will address these questions (and many others) by analyzing responses to a series of questions, many of which were asked in earlier regional surveys (1966, 1974, 1980). In 1974, for example, a quarter of the region's population was dissatisfied with living in their particular community. By 1980, only 12 percent were dissatisfied with their community. Does this change mean that local conditions improved over the years? Or have people adapted to community conditions? And were the improvements experienced in all parts of the region? Similarly, what are current local conditions and people's perceptions of them today? The 2001 DAS presents a unique opportunity to explore these questions and record changes over time by measuring people's opinions and behaviors and the conditions in their communities.

Historical Significance
In summary, the 2001 DAS will determine the extent to which people's thoughts and activities have changed over the past few decades; it will examine the degree to which changes in attitudes and actions reflect the reality of change that has taken place in the region; and it will be the foundation for future assessments of community change in the 21st century and beyond. The 2001 QOCL study coincides with the 300th anniversary of the founding of the City of Detroit. Together with data from the 2000 census, it will report on the "State of the Detroit Region" and compare it with other world cities at the beginning of the millennium. Finally, it will generate findings covering critical issues facing public and private decision-makers throughout the metro Detroit area.