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Article
Publication date: 1 March 2019

Laura MacLean and Ashraf M. Salama

With the majority of people living in cities it has become increasingly important to examine the relationship between the qualities and characteristics of an urban setting and the…

Abstract

With the majority of people living in cities it has become increasingly important to examine the relationship between the qualities and characteristics of an urban setting and the perceived satisfaction of its users. Discourses on Quality of Urban life (QOUL) show that the preponderance of existing empirical studies and measurement frameworks have been developed based on Western case studies or standards. Rapid urbanisation of cities in Africa and Asia, however, has dramatically impacted the use of space, and in many cases has resulted in intense urban transformations that impacted communities. This prompts questions about the quality of life (QOL) of residents and the liveability of their environments. Thus, this research argues that although there are many aspects of urban life that are pan-cultural, there are also culture specific features that make urban life unique in each city or setting. Consequently, QOUL studies should balance universal values and context-specificities. Following identification and critique of QOUL models, the paper calls for a new model to examine context specificities. The model aims to highlight the important role that context and culture play in urban life while underscoring the relevant core dimensions of QOUL studies.

Details

Open House International, vol. 44 no. 1
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0168-2601

Keywords

Abstract

Details

Urban Dynamics and Growth: Advances in Urban Economics
Type: Book
ISBN: 978-0-44451-481-3

Article
Publication date: 24 June 2020

Mohammad Reza Yazdanpanah Shahabadi and Hasan Sajadzadeh

The purpose of this study is on the social aspects of regeneration of historical neighborhoods in Iranian cities. For this purpose, the authors investigated the effect of the…

Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of this study is on the social aspects of regeneration of historical neighborhoods in Iranian cities. For this purpose, the authors investigated the effect of the social capital of the residents of historical neighborhoods in Tehran on their subjective quality of life and on their willingness to continue living in these historical districts. This study was motivated by the fact that the primary issue in regeneration of Tehran’s historical districts is to stimulate the residents’ desire to continue living in their neighborhoods, thereby preventing the population from decreasing.

Design/methodology/approach

A review of the theoretical literature revealed that the subjective quality of urban life could act as an intermediary construct that explains the link between social capital and willingness to continue living in a district. With this assumption, the authors administered a questionnaire to 389 residents of different historical neighborhoods who had been randomly selected by cluster sampling. The analysis of the data and the relationships among the constructs was conducted using structural equation modeling.

Findings

The results suggest that increase in the participants’ social capital, including neighborhood bonds, civic participation, social networks and trust, could increase both their life satisfaction (i.e. subjective quality of urban life) and their willingness to live in the historical district. As indicated by the structural model of this study, the social capital both directly influences willingness to continue living and has an indirect effect on it through the intermediary construct of subjective quality of urban life.

Practical implications

The findings of this study can help the policymakers of historical districts in Tehran to determine high-priority strategies for regenerating these districts. Some of the most practical policies that can be applied to the context of Tehran include provision of facilities for enhancement of social networks and bonds, formation of non-governmental organizations and using neighborhood bonds to improve the environmental conditions of neighborhood units.

Originality/value

This study has several advantages. First, the measures used that were taken from the literature have been adjusted to the context of the study with the help of a group of experts. In other words, although the constructs have their roots in theory, their measures are of a local and context-based nature. Second, the obtained results would direct the current approaches to regeneration of historical districts in Iran, which primarily have a physical, economic and elitist basis, towards additional social and participatory approaches.

Details

Journal of Place Management and Development, vol. 13 no. 4
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 1753-8335

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 1 September 2010

Derya Oktay and Robert W. Marans

This study aims to identify key indicators affecting the residents' perception of overall quality of urban life in the Walled City of Famagusta, the historic core of the city…

Abstract

This study aims to identify key indicators affecting the residents' perception of overall quality of urban life in the Walled City of Famagusta, the historic core of the city, which reflects a decaying socio-spatial quality. The paper first presents a brief overview of the research methodology and then analyses the results from a household survey carried out in the Walled City, in order to provide a sheer understanding of people's feelings about their neighbourhood environment and the overall urban quality of life in case of implementation of a possible regeneration scheme for the area. The research contributes some empirical evidence to verify the claimed benefits and shortcomings in terms of effects of neighbourhood satisfaction, sense of community, sense of belonging, neighbourhood attributes, use/evaluation of cultural and recreational opportunities and safety on the overall quality of urban life of the residents, as well as to identify the predictors of the neighbourhood satisfaction.

Article
Publication date: 7 April 2021

Tamara Vukovic, Ashraf M. Salama, Biserka Mitrovic and Mirjana Devetakovic

This paper interrogates the impact of spatial transformations on urban life. It explores the level of individual and group satisfaction and sense of well-being within the urban

Abstract

Purpose

This paper interrogates the impact of spatial transformations on urban life. It explores the level of individual and group satisfaction and sense of well-being within the urban public realm; this is undertaken by reporting on the outcomes of an assessment study of three key public open spaces in Belgrade, developed from a quality of urban life (QoUL) perspective.

Design/methodology/approach

A systematic multilevel assessment method is utilised, with the aim of determining the material and immaterial elements that can contribute to an individual's sense of comfort within a public space. The study places emphasis on the functional, social and perceptual attributes as they relate to the physical characteristics of three assessed spaces.

Findings

The assessment study resulted in a systematic overview of the different attributes of the three assessed spaces. With various performance levels within each set of attributes, the study identifies key challenges and problems that could lead towards determining possible opportunities for future local urban interventions and developmental actions.

Originality/value

With the shifts in policies and the associated governance process that redefined the outlook of previously enforced development and urban growth in the last two decades, the capital of Serbia, Belgrade, has undergone significant spatial changes. This has resulted in a certain level of fragmentation in the urban fabric, leading to a number of challenges concerning public health, well-being, safety, accessibility, comfort and urban mobility, to name a few, that need to be better addressed and understood within the local context.

Details

Archnet-IJAR: International Journal of Architectural Research, vol. 15 no. 3
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 2631-6862

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 5 August 2022

Anna Klingmann

This study aims to investigate whether the correlation between Saudi Arabia’s social and economic reforms, urban megaprojects and sustainable urbanism can lead to an increased…

Abstract

Purpose

This study aims to investigate whether the correlation between Saudi Arabia’s social and economic reforms, urban megaprojects and sustainable urbanism can lead to an increased quality of life (QoL) in the capital, create a comprehensive lifestyle setup for Riyadh’s residents while also aiming to attract foreign investment.

Design/methodology/approach

This research examines five government-sponsored mega-destinations and their master plans against the objectives of Saudi Arabia’s Vision 2030’s Quality of Life Program. Furthermore, the author analyzed to what extent the proposed projects fulfill global mandates of sustainable urban development and how they might help raise the QoL for Riyadh’s residents. The author’s methodology rests primarily on detailed policy evaluation proposed by Vision 2030, literature research and data collected from proposed urban development plans. In parallel, the author conducted informal conversations with people living in affected areas and architectural offices who are involved in the design of the five megaprojects. After collecting the data for each project, the author compared the QoL Program criteria to the data of the proposed megaprojects to examine to what extent the proposed designs implement the QoL criteria of Vision 2030. In the last step, the author evaluated whether and how the proposed plans adhere to globally established guidelines of sustainable urban revitalization by studying possible overlaps and contingencies on an urban level.

Findings

The analysis reveals that although each case study project targets one or more specific lifestyle domains, the projects combined fulfill all lifestyle categories specified in Saudi Arabia’s QoL program. In addition, each project contributes measures to improve livability in the categories of urban design and environment, infrastructure and transport, social engagement and safety while also providing a range of economic and educational opportunities for different demographics. In terms of sustainable development criteria, the analysis demonstrates that all case studies provide ample measures to enhance Riyadh’s mobility by providing greenways for pedestrians and cyclists, which connect to public transport. Furthermore, when strategically combined as a series of urban layers, the projects demonstrate potential to form urban synergies among different lifestyle domains that could positively affect existing and proposed neighborhoods, particularly when extended through an inclusive, participatory planning framework, which, in turn, could significantly raise the QoL for a broad socioeconomic demographic.

Research limitations/implications

This research reveals the complex role of megaprojects as change agents for socioeconomic reforms, as signifiers of livability and as planning frameworks to implement sustainable urbanism in Saudi Arabia’s capital, while also creating a lifestyle infrastructure for Riyadh’s residents.

Practical implications

With their sensitive approach to climate, ecologically driven landscape projects and regionalist architecture inspired by the traditional Arab city, these case study projects may serve as an example to other countries in hot arid zones on sustainably revitalizing their urban environments.

Social implications

This study demonstrates how social and economic reforms intertwine with sustainable urban planning and placemaking to create a comprehensive lifestyle setup for Riyadh’s residents that has not previously existed. On the planning side, this includes creating a massive public infrastructure that encourages walkability and residents’ active participation in recreational, cultural, entertainment and sports activities. However, as the analysis has also revealed, while offering a large number of public facilities, the projects do not embrace a mixed-income project model, which would allow low-income families to live within a market-rate environment. In addition, one of the projects entails the displacement of benefit low-income and migrant communities. Although the government has a separate program that specifically aims at providing affordable housing in other areas of the city, these model destinations primarily target luxury tourists and affluent Saudis, potentially cementing existing socio-spatial divides in the city. Consequently, the megaprojects demonstrate Saudi Arabia’s conflicted response to the logic of entrepreneurial neoliberalism: on the one side, progressive attempts to promote an egalitarian approach to urban livability; on the other, strategic efforts to use megaprojects as spectacular showcases in the global marketplace.

Originality/value

The correlation between Saudi Arabia’s socioeconomic reforms, megaprojects and sustainable urbanism in Riyadh has not been previously explored. Compared to Western countries’ cities, few attempts have been made to investigate the role of livability in the context of emerging countries’ fast-growing urban areas. This paper presents a considerable case study in Saudi Arabia that ties into a more extensive debate on cultural globalization where cities, particularly in the developing world, use megaprojects as change agents to reconstruct their urban territories according to standardized livability indices to elevate their image in the global marketplace.

Details

Journal of Place Management and Development, vol. 16 no. 1
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 1753-8335

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 14 November 2022

Cristian Rogério Foguesatto, Bibiana Volkmer Martins, Fabiane Aparecida Tavares da Silveira, Kadígia Faccin and Alsones Balestrin

Talented people with interpersonal skills and competencies are pivotal for creating knowledge, innovation and organizational effectiveness, contributing to local development. In…

Abstract

Purpose

Talented people with interpersonal skills and competencies are pivotal for creating knowledge, innovation and organizational effectiveness, contributing to local development. In this regard, the quality of life is a critical factor in attracting and retaining talented people in any region. This study aims to analyze talents’ perception of the quality of life in an urban innovation ecosystem. This study considers talents to be the students from Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics programs.

Design/methodology/approach

This study analyzes 263 students from three of the country’s most important universities located in the city of Porto Alegre in southern Brazil. This study examines the data using principal component analysis and cluster techniques.

Findings

The results indicate five clusters. The “Love for the city” and the “Mixed” ones portray high levels of a sense of belonging to the city, but differ, for example, in their perception on city infrastructure. Conversely, both the “Worried about education” and the “Worried about commercial services” ones express low levels of a sense of belonging in the city. The “Security” cluster portrays the highest level on security issues in the city. The cluster analyses provide detailed information on the factors valued by talents in urban innovation ecosystems.

Originality/value

To date, to the best of the authors’ knowledge, this study is the first that uses cluster techniques to measure talents’ perception of the quality of life in an urban innovation ecosystem. The findings contribute to mapping talents’ perception and building profiles which may support the development of policies and programs to attract and retain qualified people in innovation ecosystems.

Details

International Journal of Innovation Science, vol. 15 no. 5
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 1757-2223

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 1 March 2019

Miray Gür, Yavuz Taneli and Neslihan Dostoşlu

This study aims to measure the quality of life (QoL), using the proposed conceptual model within the context of the interactions between human behaviour and the environment. It…

Abstract

This study aims to measure the quality of life (QoL), using the proposed conceptual model within the context of the interactions between human behaviour and the environment. It aims to research the effect of the control of residents on QoL, and the findings constitute the basis for a discussion on the effects of environmental policies on QoL. Doğanbey in Bursa, which is in close proximity to the Khans (Inns) District, is selected as the study area because it represents an urban transformation implemented according to administrative decisions. QoL measurements in the research reflect people's evaluations, their adaptation to post-transformation environment and the implementation process by means of questionnaires and in-depth interviews. The findings indicate that lack of resident control has an adverse effect on satisfaction and QoL, and that an urban transformation conducted without user participation will fail. In conclusion, the study aims to contribute to decision-making mechanisms within the framework of residents' influence to ensure increased QoL. The intention of the authors is to promote the usage of QoL scale developed for other housing or transformation areas by modifying the questions according to varying geographies and social groups.

Details

Open House International, vol. 44 no. 1
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0168-2601

Keywords

Open Access
Article
Publication date: 20 May 2020

Mauro Romanelli

The purpose of this study is to identify the pathway that leads to cities to proceeding towards urban sustainability.

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Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of this study is to identify the pathway that leads to cities to proceeding towards urban sustainability.

Design/methodology/approach

This study intends to propose a theoretical analysis on the city as sustainable community that drives urban development adopting a smart vision for urban growth.

Findings

Cities as sustainable urban communities develop smartness as a vision for change understanding and developing the potential offered by information technology reinforcing the community by shaping collaborative governance.

Research limitations/implications

Cities using information technology as a source for urban sustainability develop smartness to evolve as smart communities following a managerial and organizational view towards sustainability as a source for continuous innovation and change within urban ecosystem.

Originality/value

Cities identify a sustainability-oriented and community-driven pathway as a vision for continuous change that helps to improve urban competitiveness, innovation and democracy ensuring high quality of life by strengthening the potential offered by technology-enabled and human-centred smartness.

Details

Kybernetes, vol. 49 no. 7
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0368-492X

Keywords

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