Butler residents who are part of a new survey dealing with the downtown area should embrace the study with a serious, committed and open-minded attitude. Their answers could help community and business leaders establish another framework for enhancing the downtown’s appeal to people who already live within the city’s boundaries as well as those who could be lured into making the downtown home.

Ideas and understanding build a foundation for problem solving. The survey in question seeks to plant the seed for something worthwhile to germinate.

But that won’t happen if those who are the target of the survey toss it aside as something irrelevant or something with little possibility of accomplishing much good.

The Pittsburgh History and Landmarks Foundation is the entity conducting the survey, whose goal is a better understanding of the market for upper-floor housing in the downtown.

A major goal for Butler should be attracting people for downtown residency, adding life to what primarily is a retail and service environment.

A downtown area shouldn’t close up after 5 p.m., but that’s what happens in Butler, for the most part.

Butler needs good, affordable housing that’s attractive to young professionals who would relish the opportunity to live close to their work and avoid daily commutes from who-knows-where.

Beyond the survey, as it is constructed, there should eventually be a second study — a survey of single workers or newly married couples who might welcome the opportunity to live in a positive downtown environment where they could live safely and comfortably.

The current survey will seek to better understand the market for upper-floor housing in the downtown as well as to gauge perceptions of safety in and around the city’s core area.

The foundation already is working with the city on the Neighborhood Partnership Program, a project announced in March to reduce blighted buildings and enhance downtown beautification. In addition, the foundation also is this city’s partner for the proposed Centre City project, which would include a hotel, parking garage and events center in the 100 block of South Main Street.

The current 21-question survey, which has been sent to residents of a number of streets bordering the downtown, is basically in two parts — one dealing with living in the downtown and the other focusing on downtown safety.

Residents who have received the survey should set aside enough time to answer the questions and offer comments where requested.

The answers should reflect serious thought on what would be best for the downtown and, in effect, the city in general.

Whatever good can be achieved in the downtown area will spill over into the neighborhoods.

This study is not a useless exercise.