Minnesota by the numbers: Why do we like it here, anyway?

The Metropolitan Council wants to know that sort of stuff. It helps planners plan for the future. So in late 2005, the council sent a survey to 3,600 residents in the seven county metro area, 1,182 of whom bothered to fill out the form.

The responses are, well, strange. For instance, asked what is the region's most attractive feature, a whopping seven percent responded "Mall of America shopping." That's almost twice the number (4 percent) who thought the region's attractive feature is its people and one percent shy of those who choose the arts and culture scene. At the top of the list: Parks and trails (23 percent), followed by the natural environment (14 percent) and good neighborhoods (8 percent).

Asked about the region's "most important problem," 35 percent listed "transportation." The runner-up was crime, at 26 percent.