Utility Method as an Instrument of the Quality of Life Assessment Using the Examples of Selected European Cities

Piotr Przybyłowski,Adam Przybyłowski,Agnieszka Kałaska

doi:10.3390/en14102770

Piotr Przybyłowski, Adam Przybyłowski + Show 1 more

Open Access

https://doi.org/10.3390/en14102770

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Abstract

Improving quality of life still remains the main goal of strategic documents and is promoted by leaders on the global, national, regional, and local levels. Moreover, this ambitious challenge should be consistent with the principles of sustainable development, including the social, economic, and environmental aspects. The ISO 37120 indicators within the World Council on City Data (WCCD) database may be used to monitor the urban performance over time. However, the interpretation of the results is not always easy and sometimes requires a complex analysis. The aim of this paper was to investigate the possibility of illustrating in a transparent way the urban quality of life using the utility method. This study also presents that this method may facilitate making data-driven decisions on urban management, planning and investment. Thus, it may be useful for decision makers and help cities and communities of all sizes to become more sustainable, safe and resilient, prosperous, inclusive, and smart. The analysis has been carried out using the examples of selected European cities: Amsterdam, Gdynia, London, and Zagreb. The hypothesis reads as follows: it is possible to use the total and partial utility method in order to assess the level of urban quality of life with regard to the three dimensions of sustainable development in order to monitor progress and results and prioritize and implement the changes within urban policy. Research results indicate that there are significant differences between the compared cities within the economic, social, and ecological aspects. This analysis may constitute an introduction to the development of more complex models in the future.

Highlights

The quality of life [1] assessment implies an investigation of factors representing economic, social, and ecological aspects
Researchers seek the simplified models and methods [11] for urban sustainability assessment [12] that could be a useful instrument [13] for decision makers [14,15]
The hypothesis reads as follows: it is possible to use the total and partial utility method in order to assess the level of urban quality of life with regard to the three dimensions of sustainable development in order to monitor progress and results and prioritize and implement the changes within urban policy

Summary

Introduction

The quality of life [1] assessment implies an investigation of factors representing economic, social, and ecological aspects. It is essential that indicators [2] provide information that can be interpreted [3] by decision and policymakers [4]. They should facilitate the process of planning [5,6], monitoring [7], and evaluation [8]. Big data may play a crucial role in achieving sustainability goals and, as a consequence, improving the quality of life, provided the privacy aspects are respected [16]. Some research has underlined the importance of a multidimensional [18] and multi-criteria approach that combines three methodologies: material flow analysis (MFA), life cycle assessment (LCA), and data envelopment analysis (DEA) [19,20]

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