Residential Quality Research Articles

Livable Streets: Assessing the Impact of Vehicle Traffic on the Residential Quality of Life Case Study: El-Attarin, Alexandria, Egypt

Livable Streets: Assessing the Impact of Vehicle Traffic on the Residential Quality of Life Case Study: El-Attarin, Alexandria, Egypt

The development of highway nuisance perception: Experiences of residents along the Southern Ring Road in Groningen, The Netherlands

The perception of highway nuisance i.e. noises, air pollution and barrier-effects, is associated with negative effects on health and quality of life. This study aims to gain a deeper understanding of the development of highway nuisance perception among residents. Interviews were conducted with residents in 32 households living along the Southern Ring Road, a highway which crosses various neighbourhoods in the city of Groningen, the Netherlands.Various themes emerged from the interviews which were important in the development of residents’ perceptions of highway nuisance. For example, our interviews showed that residents who had not explicitly chosen to live next to a highway were more acutely affected by the negative externalities of that highway later. Perceived environmental changes, often due to governmental actions such as new/extended noise barriers, removal of trees and newly constructed buildings causing noise reflection, also played a role in the interviewees’ development of nuisance perception. In addition, the interviewees indicated that expectations about future highway developments influenced their current perception of highway nuisance, which could be described as anticipation effects. Interviewees also indicated that recent information about the potentially harmful effects of air pollution increased their concerns about living near the highway. A final theme discussed were differences in the extent to which residents were able to develop coping strategies to reduce the amount of highway nuisance perception.The participants’ experiences indicate the importance of further integration between the planning of highway infrastructure and the broader environment in order to reduce nuisance perceptions and improve residential quality near highways.

Residential Satisfaction and Intention to Move: The Case of Prague’s New Suburbanites

Suburbanization has been a particularly significant process in transforming the metropolitan regions in Central and East European countries in the past two decades. Many critics emphasize the negative consequences of suburbanization, such as a low level of residential environment quality, and some of them anticipate that suburbanites’ expectations would remain unfulfilled. Moreover, a growing body of literature describes the tendency for reurbanization and discusses the importance of back-to-the city moves. Few authors, however, have paid attention to the empirical evidence of the residential stability of suburban areas. Therefore, this paper seeks to investigate the relationship between the quality of the suburban environment, the everyday life experiences associated with suburbia, and reurbanization tendencies. Various aspects of residential satisfaction and intentions to move in the medium term were analysed using data from a questionnaire survey which was carried out in three case study sites within Prague’s hinterland. In addition, major differences between groups of potential “stayers” and “movers” were examined to reveal key factors which lie behind intentions to move from current suburban homes. The results suggested a relatively high degree of stability and a reasonable overall satisfaction of new suburbanites with their residential environment. They also indicated that trigger moments in the decision-making process were more closely related to the changing needs of households than the wider residential environment. Based on the research results, we were able to hypothesize that (1) a strong out-migration from the suburban zone is rather unlikely in the near future, and (2) only a small proportion of new suburbanites are likely to engage in the reurbanization process.

Spatial Heterogeneity in Amenity and Labor Market Migration

The disequilibrium and equilibrium models of migration disagree on how local amenities and labor market dynamics influence regional in-migration. Research into migration motives and decision-making show that migration for some individuals is mainly driven by proximity to the labor market, while migration for others is mainly amenity driven. As this is an ongoing process, it should result in a spatial sorting based on migration motives. This means that global models explaining in-migration underestimate the influence of both factors through averaging out of the coefficients across these diverse regions. In this article, we compare a local and a global model explaining in-migration through residential quality and labor market proximity. We find significant differences in the influence of the explanatory variables between regions. Demonstrating this spatial heterogeneity shows that the impacts of factors underpinning migration vary across regions. This result highlights the importance of the regional context in anticipating and designing regional policy concerning population dynamics.

Residential mobility of low-income, subsidized households: a synthesis of explanatory frameworks

Mobility, residential quality, and life outcomes are linked in the literature and these relationships have influenced low-income housing policy. This research investigates the determinants of mobility for households with a federal housing subsidy. Combining unique data from a survey of Housing Choice Voucher households, client program files, and secondary data, this study uses logistic regression to test several explanations for mobility, including the life cycle, housing market perceptions, and perceived and actual neighborhood conditions. The results indicate that a synthesis of explanations produce the best model to predict residential mobility. Neighborhood quality, perceived and actual, variables most strongly influence mobility, but life cycle factors and perception of the local housing market also impact moving choices. At the same time, the results suggest a gap in our understanding of the relationship among individuals’ environmental perceptions, formation of feelings of neighborhood satisfaction, and actual neighborhood conditions. The article concludes with a discussion of the research and policy implications from this study.

Living on coal: Mined-out identity, community displacement and forming of anti-coal resistance in the Most region, Czech Republic

This paper provides new insights about the factors shaping social acceptance of and opposition to coal mining. It is based on a comparative survey of communities living in two towns with different demographic development and residential quality located in a close proximity to expanding opencast mine in the Czech Republic, which are threatened by displacement due to possible revisions of the current territorial mining limits. We analyze social-spatial differences in perceptions of landscape and place attachment, and the influence of geographical and sociodemographic factors on personal attitudes and the involvement in local anti-coal activities. A strong place attachment that is determined by the quality of living environment and the length of residence proved to be significant predictor of anti-coal attitude, while the employment tied to coal industry and weak place attachments are key factors shaping a pro-coal attitude. A typical active opponent of the coal mining expansion has a higher age, university education and strong place attachment. While both studied communities are characterized by strong active engagement in protest activities, a low level of confidence in the effectiveness of protests to affect decisions of political authorities was also detected.

Wohnmobilität im Alter – ein zukunftsfähiger Ansatz für die Siedlungsentwicklung nach innen?

AbstractWhen planners debate settlement density, residential mobility typically gets short shrift: conventional wisdom holds that people want to stay where they are. Unsurprisingly, therefore, demographic change is often framed as a burden: an ever larger cohort of ever older people live ever longer in family dwellings, exacerbating pressures on land use. Yet the residential preferences of ageing baby boomers suggest that change is often welcome, and that demography can be an opportunity for a more sustainable use of built-up areas.To empirically ground the often emotional debate about a more efficient use of the housing stock, the author conducted a representative survey of 1200 people, aged 50–87, in the Cantons of Aargau and Zurich in 2011. Contrary to widely held beliefs, 43% of respondents said they could envisage moving: to purchase real estate, to upgrade residential qualities or location, and to reduce space and housework. Add to this the desire to remain mobile, and to remain independent, and it ...

Urban sprawl: neighbourhood dissatisfaction and urban preferences. Some evidence from Flanders

ABSTRACT Early studies suggest that people living in rural neighbourhoods are more satisfied with their residential location than people living in cities. Consequently, most individuals seem to prefer low-density environments to reside in. More recent studies, however, state that rural residents are no more likely to be satisfied with their residential neighbourhood than their urban counterparts. In addition, a considerable, growing part of the population seems to have a clear preference for urban neighbourhoods. The results of our research, conducted in Flanders, Belgium, suggest that urbanites are more satisfied with their neighbourhood than rural residents are. Neighbourhood preferences differ less between urbanites and rural residents. However, there are differences indicating that urbanites have a preference for rural neighbourhoods and rural residents a preference for urban neighbourhoods. In sum, it seems that people, once they have selected their residential location, are not satisfied with the neighbourhood characteristics and tend to develop a preference for a different neighbourhood type. This mismatch can be partly explained by the strongly developed urban sprawl in Flanders, reducing the residential qualities of urban and especially rural environments. Restricting further urban sprawl, with the help of a more active spatial planning policy, seems necessary to increase neighbourhood satisfaction.

Measuring urban quality of life: case study of Ljubljana

Quality of urban life is a useful concept for studying the quality of residential environment and its effect on quality of life. The article is based on the data analysis of the survey research Quality of Life in Ljubljana (2010). Using structural equation modelling and hierarchical multiple linear regression analysis, the effect of residential quality on quality of life was determined and compared to the effects of selected domains of life. The results depend heavily on the operationalization of quality of life and on the selected independent variables in the model. Structural equation modelling confirmed the hypothesis about the effect of residential quality on quality of life, wherein satisfaction with the dwelling has a significantly greater effect on it than satisfaction with the neighbourhood and with living in the city. The hierarchical regression analysis results show that the quality of life for Ljubljana residents is most affected by their own estimation of social-economic factors, especially economic well-being, family life, and social life.

Percepción de los beneficios individuales del uso de la bicicleta compartida como modo de transporte

Cycling as a mode of transport is associated with numerous social and environmental benefits. However, the benefits that are most valued by cyclists are unknown. This study sought to find out to what extent the Public Bike Sharing System (PBSS) of the city of Buenos Aires produced positive impacts on aspects that users value most when traveling, and analysing whether these evaluations vary according to the intensity of use of the PBSS. To achieve this aim, a questionnaire was designed based on a study on residential quality of life, which was administered to 161 PBSS users. Results indicated that travel aspects such as rapidity, control of arrival time, saving money and –to a lesser extent– health were very important to users, and these aspects had the greatest improvement since they started to use the PBSS. Similarly, those who used the system with greater intensity perceived greater non-instrumental benefits, such as entertainment and comfort. These results suggest that, in order to achieve a sustainable change in mobility behaviours, it is necessary to maintain the instrumental advantages of bike sharing over other modes of transport.

Residential environment quality and neighborhood attachment in open and gated communities

Abstract Our study evaluated the residential environment quality among residents of both traditional open communities and gated communities (fenced), with the latter becoming increasingly popular in Poland. For this purpose the Perceived Evaluation of Residential Environment Quality and Place Attachment Questionnaire (Dębek, Janda-Dębek, 2015) was used, which is a Polish adaptation of Abbreviated Perceived Residential Environment Quality & Neighborhood Attachment Indicators (APREQ & NA, Bonaiuto, Bonnes, Fornara, 2010). Sixty residents of two Wrocław communities (open and gated) were examined. Our study revealed that residents of the open community evaluate their residential environment better and they are more attached to it than residents of the gated community.

도시형생활주택의 거주성 향상을 위한 일반 공동주택 단지와의 공용공간 비교 연구

도시형생활주택의 거주성 향상을 위한 일반 공동주택 단지와의 공용공간 비교 연구

SUBJECTIVELY AND OBJECTIVELY INTEGRATED ASSESSMENT OF THE QUALITY INDICES OF THE SUBURBAN RESIDENTIAL ENVIRONMENT

The development of suburban residential areas influences the increasingly growing disparities between residential areas of a local municipal network. Real positive indicator values of settlements are usually used by planners to characterise the residential quality of a suburban settlement and to decide on its future development. These values frequently differ from choices made by urban residents on living under conditions of such interpretive suburban residential quality. It is the essence of spontaneous development in suburbs. This article aims to devise an integrated evaluation instrument that combines the objective and subjective evaluation of the quality indices of suburban residential environment. It introduces the following topics: (1) the identification of subjective and objective indices of the suburban residential environment; (2) development of the previous conceptual model of subjectively and objectively integrated quality indices used for the assessment of the suburban residential environment, and (3) comparison of suburban settlements by the existing conditions of the residential quality and the quality of the residential environment expected by potential residents. This piece of work is a part of a wider research.

Loan Modifications and Foreclosure Sales during the Financial Crisis: Consequences for Health and Stress

Loan modifications and foreclosure sales are two ways mortgage servicers can respond when homeowners fall behind on house payments. We investigate the consequences of these events for health and stress by linking longitudinal survey data with administrative mortgage performance data that identify those survey participants who experienced a foreclosure sale, a loan modification, or neither. We find that between 2008 and 2013, loan modifications and foreclosure sales were both associated with a reduction in the stress of house payments, while foreclosure sales alone were associated with a reduction in the stress of home maintenance. Beyond these property-related stressors, the changes in survey participants' self-reported sense-of-control and mental, physical, and general health are most associated with transitions in employment, income, marital status, and residential quality rather than with loan modifications or foreclosure sales. These findings run counter to prevailing research, yet they inform the debate over how to address problems that arise when homeowners become delinquent on mortgages.

Evaluating the effect of Japan’s 2004 postgraduate training programme on the spatial distribution of physicians

BackgroundIn 2004, the Japanese government permitted medical graduates for the first time to choose their training location directly through a national matching system. While the reform has had a major impact on physicians’ placement, research on the impact of the new system on physician distribution in Japan has been limited. In this study, we sought to examine the determinants of physicians’ practice location choice, as well as factors influencing their geographic distribution before and after the launch of Japan’s 2004 postgraduate medical training programme.MethodsWe analyzed secondary data. The dependent variable was the change in physician supply at the secondary tier of medical care in Japan, a level which is roughly comparable to a Hospital Service Area in the US. Physicians were categorized into two groups according to the institutions where they practiced; specifically, hospitals and clinics. We considered the following predictors of physician supply: ratio of physicians per 1,000 population (physician density), age-adjusted mortality, as well as measures of residential quality. Ordinary least-squares regression models were used to estimate the associations. A coefficient equality test was performed to examine differences in predictors before and after 2004.ResultsBaseline physician density showed a positive association with the change in physician supply after the launch of the 2004 programme (P-value < .001), whereas no such effect was found before 2004. Urban locations were inversely associated with the change in physician supply before 2004 (P-value = .026), whereas a positive association was found after 2004 (P-value < .001). Urban location and area-level socioeconomic status were positively correlated with the change in hospital physician supply after 2004 (P-values < .001 for urban centre, and .025 for area-level socioeconomic status), even though in the period prior to the 2004 training scheme, urban location was inversely associated with the change in physician supply (P-value = .015) and area-level socioeconomic status was not correlated.ConclusionFollowing the introduction of the 2004 postgraduate training programme, physicians in Japan were more likely to move to areas with already high physician density and urban locations. These changes worsened regional inequality in physician supply, particularly hospital doctors.

Bacteria in Residential Subwatersheds is not Widespread — Results from a Residential Property-Scale Water Quality Study

Bacteria in Residential Subwatersheds is not Widespread — Results from a Residential Property-Scale Water Quality Study

Residential polarization in a sub-Sahara African megacity: an exploratory study of Lagos

Urban scholars, especially geographers and planners, have long realized that the city built environment exhibits a complex geography. This has led to the evolution of the theory of spatial inequality or uneven spatial development. In spite of this, only few studies on residential polarization in African megacities have been reported. Consequently, the patterns and bases of housing polarization in African cities remain inadequately explained. This study therefore explores the spatial variations of housing quality in an African leading megacity, Lagos, with a view to determining their underlying bases and practical implications. Using a stratified systematic random sampling, data were collected through an extensive housing survey carried out on 1485 household residences in 56 electoral wards within 12 administrative units in Lagos megacity. The megacity was stratified into three residential density neighbourhoods: low residential density (LRD), medium residential density (MRD) and high residential density (HRD) areas. Techniques of principal component analysis (PCA) and geographic information systems were used to depict spatial variations in the residential quality in the study area. Findings indicate a polarization of residential quality in Lagos along three residential density areas. The multiunit housing type dominates the HRD, while flats dominate the MRD and LRD areas. The PCA exploratory analysis shows that the residential polarization that exists in the three neighbourhoods is based on location, dwelling facility, interior quality, exterior quality, neighbourhood integrity, social bond, barrier to entry and security. The practical implications of this polarization for housing and urban development are explicitly given.

Dimensiones del sentido de comunidad que predicen la calidad de vida residencial en barrios con diferentes posiciones socioeconómicas

The study aims were to identify which dimensions of the sense of community have the greatest positive impact on residential quality of life and which of these best predict the quality of life of residents according to the socioeconomic status of the neighbourhood. The study was conducted in 10 districts in Malaga City, Spain, with a total sample of 1,583 participants. Of these residents, 31% had a low socioeconomic status, 34% had a medium socioeconomic status, and 35% had a high socioeconomic status. The participants were selected using random route sampling. The results show that the 3 dimensions that best predicted residential quality of life were the physical environment of the neighbourhood, administrative incentives, and social support from local authorities. The results also show that the dimensions of the sense of community that predicted residential quality of life changed according to the socioeconomic status of the neighbourhood. The implications of the study are discussed.

Variabel Aspek Kepuasan Berhuni Di Lingkungan Hunian Perkotaan, Kota Malang

The satisfaction and perception on neighborhood is one of the most basic topic in Environmental Psychology. This research aims at exploring subjectif indicators of the urban neighborhood quality viewed through the perception of the residents on their neighborhood. The quality of the neighborhood is seen through 4 aspects: architecture and city planning, sosial relationship, public service and contextual aspect. 40 respondent were choosen from the newest telephone book by simple random sampling method. They respresent 5 districts in Malang city. The respondent were asked to answer the self-administered questioner that consist of semi-open questions about residential quality aspect, qualitatively. The method of analysis is descriptive statistic. The result showed 77 variables of residential satisfaction according to the residents perspective. These variables are divided into 4 aspects of the quality of neighborhood (architecture and city planning, sosial relationship, public service and contextual). It showed that beside physical aspects of environment, the residents also determine supportive non physical aspects as important aspects for their neighborhood. Keywords:residential satisfaction, urban neighborhood

Significance of house-type as a determinant of residential quality in Osogbo, Southwest Nigeria

This study investigates the effect of house-types on the assessment of residential quality in Osogbo, Nigeria. Through a questionnaire survey, this study employs a stratified systematic sampling method to select 406 (10%) households from three (3) major residential districts of Osogbo. Data are analyzed using descriptive statistics and one-way analysis of variance (ANOVA). The study showed that 80% and 14.8% of the respondents live in contemporary vernacular houses, that is, the “face-me-i-face-you” house, and western apartment houses, respectively. Meanwhile 2.5%, 1.5%, and 1.2% of the respondents live in duplexes, single family houses, and traditional courtyard dwellings, respectively. This result suggests that in Osogbo, the Yoruba traditional courtyard house-type is gradually being replaced by the contemporary vernacular house and the western apartment house-type. Confirming the linear relationship and level of significance among the variables, the ANOVA Test F-value is 2.17 (where p<0.05 probability level), which indicates that house-type significantly affects the assessment of residential quality in Osogbo. The need for the government and others involved in housing delivery to consider the appropriate house-types for and residential preferences of end-users within different sub-cultures when planning for future housing in Nigeria is highlighted.