Relationship between Physical Environment Satisfaction, Neighborhood Satisfaction, and Quality of Life in Gyeonggi, Korea

Abstract

This study examined the relationship between physical environment satisfaction, neighborhood satisfaction, and quality of life (QoL) in Gyeonggi, Korea. As previous QoL studies have rarely dealt with residential environments or examined the interactions between the physical and social factors in residential environments, to close these knowledge gaps, this study took physical and social environment satisfaction factors as relevant influences on QoL. This study also verified the moderating effect of neighborhood satisfaction on QoL through physical environment satisfaction. This study analyzed a Quality of Life Survey that was conducted in Gyeonggi, Korea. The total number of samples in the survey was 20,000, covering all 31 districts in Gyeonggi Province. In addition, multistage stratified sampling based on the number of household members and housing types was applied to the sample design. This increases the representation of the data. As a result, it was found that higher satisfaction with the physical and neighborhood factors positively affected QoL, with satisfaction with the facilities having the most obvious effect. Neighborhood satisfaction was found to have a moderating effect between safety satisfaction and QoL. Many developing countries have tended to pursue quantitative growth with a focus on economic aspects, which has undermined overall urban sustainability. However, recent urban management has also emphasized qualitative growth, such as resident QoL, as being just as important for urban sustainability. Therefore, this study’s results have important policy implications for qualitative urban growth.