Modeling Determinants of Subjective QOUL at Different Geographic Scales: The Case of the Brisbane-SEQ Region

Abstract

Using survey data collected from households living in the Brisbane South East Queensland region, a rapidly growing metropolis in Australia, path analysis is used to test links between urban residents’ assessment of various urban attributes and their level of satisfaction in three urban domains: one’s own housing, their neighborhood or local area and the wider metropolitan region. The analysis also shows the relative contribution of those urban domains to overall life satisfaction. Neighborhood satisfaction is shown to be much less important in predicting overall life satisfaction than is satisfaction with housing and the region. More specifically, neighborhood satisfaction impacts indirectly on overall life satisfaction mediated by regional satisfaction and housing satisfaction. In predicting regional satisfaction, the cost of living and government service provision are shown to be most important. Neighborhood satisfaction is best predicted by neighborhood interaction and perceived crime. In contrast, access to facilities is a less important predictor of neighborhood satisfaction. Satisfaction with housing is shown to be best predicted by housing age, temperature, and home ownership. While material concerns like the cost of living and the provision of services are shown to be primary factors underlying overall satisfaction with urban living, the importance of environmental issues and demand for smaller homes might be expected to increase over time.