PIERRE S.D. (MITCHELLNOW) Two South Dakota cities scored well this year on a national ranking of livable communities. In A-A-R-P’s 2024 Livability Index, Pierre ranked 15th in small communities, and Sioux Falls ranked 14th in the large community category. The platform scores towns based on indicators like housing, transportation, environment and health. Pierre and Sioux Falls scored highest in the “opportunity” and “engagement” categories, which Lindsey Holmquest with A-A-R-P South Dakota says are often underestimated.

   “The piece that is often overlooked is that social connection piece. It’s important for people to feel connected to their community, their neighborhood, their neighbors, their service providers. The people that make up a place are just as important as the infrastructure.”

Holmquest says the index could be a useful checklist for ensuring communities are welcome places for people of all ages. The “neighborhood” category, for example, considers access to grocery stores, parks, libraries and more.

Whether a town made the list or not, the ranking system could be useful for any community. Steve Watson is a partner at Teton Ridge Consulting and has helped communities across the state with development projects. He says city leaders, economic development organizations and city councils could all use the index.

   “I think it would be a really good framework to help ensure that the policies they’re creating, the investments they’re making, the decisions they’re making kind of tie back to these indicators.”

Watson used the Tatanka [ta-TONK-ah] Trail as an example. The Fort Pierre project, currently in design, includes a pedestrian bridge, plaza, outdoor exhibits and a trail. The project has received federal funding through the American Rescue Plan.