Quality of Urban Life: A Taxonomic Perspective

Abstract

Quality is a very complex and a vague concept which covers various meanings from the perspective of different disciplines. However, a general definition can be given as “the efficiency/performance of an object or a service towards the needs”. A specific form of quality, quality of urban life, can be defined as the performance level of urban life towards the needs of communities or societies. In other words, quality of urban life refers to the degree of excellence or satisfactory character of urban life. The main aim of this paper is to evaluate the quality of urban life from a taxonomic perspective. Our taxonomic approach addresses several dimensions of quality of urban life ranging from environmental to social and economic components. We address the concept of quality, environmental quality, quality of life, measurement of quality of life, livability, and sustainability, as well as the associated concepts such as well-being, satisfaction, and performance. We evaluate multidimensional aspects of urban environmental quality, while addressing the implications of spatial and urban planning policies with respect to these dimensions. Our focus is mainly on four aspects of quality of urban life, viz. (i) urban ecology and resources, (ii) urban environmental quality, (iii) quality of urban transport, and (iv) sustainable cities and quality of community life. With our taxonomic approach we aim to evaluate the quality of urban life in a broader and a systematic sense to highlight the relevant urban policies.JEL Classification: R10, Q50, C80