Linking quality of life and sustainability in Canadian cities

Abstract

In this study, we explore the relationship between urban quality of life and sustainability in 171 Canadian cities, each with a population of over 25,000. To do so, we built four indices—quality of life, socioeconomic sustainability, environmental sustainability, and a combined global sustainability index—to investigate factors that are associated with cities scoring above average on quality of life and sustainability indices. Our findings reveal a significant positive relationship between quality of life and all three sustainability indices. However, a weaker correlation between quality of life and the Environmental Index suggests potential shortcomings in urban environmental policies. Furthermore, disaggregated analyses enabled us to identify two significant factors influencing quality of life and both the global and socioeconomic sustainability indices: lower crime rates, which reflect safety and equity to some degree, and higher median incomes, which indicate the capability to afford a better standard and variety of goods and services. Notably, while certain indicators such as cultural expenditure, transit ridership, housing costs, city greenness, and waste production do not directly correlate with quality of life, their significance within the realms of socioeconomic and environmental sustainability suggests a long-term impact on quality of life. By improving sustainability through environmental and socioeconomic measures, city authorities can further enhance the quality of life for residents.