Evaluating the Quality of Life for Sustainable Urban Development

Abstract

Abstract As urbanization is rapidly progressing worldwide, the cities need to assess their quality of life (QOL) not only to check their infrastructure, but also to keep pace with the changing values and lifestyles of citizens. We propose an integrated method to evaluate QOL from the detailed spatial aspects of a city with the subjective values of its citizens. In this study, the spatial data on a 500-m mesh scale and the subjective values on individual attributes of the urban environment are obtained to evaluate the QOL in five metropolitan areas in Japan. The QOL within a city was found to vary both by region and by individual attributes. The results provide a scientific basis for urban policies that achieve diversity and inclusiveness.