Chapter 2.3Quality <strong>of</strong> Life andUrban ProsperityToday no one disputes that quality <strong>of</strong> life is essentialfor a city to prosper. The notion is increasingly used bydecision-makers, practitioners and urban populationsalike. Everyone agrees on its importance, but everyonewill also agree that this notion comes with differentmeanings and facets. Many efforts have been made todevelop a policy-oriented definition, yet <strong>the</strong> essence<strong>of</strong> quality <strong>of</strong> life remains vague when applied to urbanareas. Despite <strong>the</strong>se different views and understandings,<strong>the</strong> very basic notion remains largely similar both in <strong>the</strong>developed and <strong>the</strong> developing world: peoples in Jakarta,Naples, Los Angeles or Bogotá will, to large extent,share similar concerns, including decent employment,material wellbeing, fulfilling family lives and goodhealth. Individuals and specific circumstances mayvalue one <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong>se factors over o<strong>the</strong>rs; yet, as noted in<strong>the</strong> Report by <strong>the</strong> French Government Commission on<strong>the</strong> Measurement <strong>of</strong> Economic Performance and SocialProgress (2009), <strong>the</strong>se constitute “<strong>the</strong> most importantfeatures that give life its value.” 1Measuring Quality <strong>of</strong> LifeRecently, efforts have turned from definition to scientificmeasurement <strong>of</strong> quality <strong>of</strong> life. To Nobel laureateAmartya Sen, quality <strong>of</strong> life is determined by <strong>the</strong> variousopportunities open to individuals, and <strong>the</strong>ir freedom tochoose from <strong>the</strong>se many opportunities. 3 O<strong>the</strong>r conceptualapproaches measure quality <strong>of</strong> life based on <strong>the</strong> notion <strong>of</strong>subjective well-being and on economic notions drawn fromwelfare economics. 4 The most comprehensive subjectivemeasurement <strong>of</strong> quality <strong>of</strong> life is <strong>the</strong> World Values Survey,which reflects representativeindividuals’ beliefs andThe choicevalues in 54 countries around fact <strong>of</strong> indicators<strong>the</strong> world. 5 More recentreflects <strong>the</strong> audience formeasurements <strong>of</strong> quality <strong>of</strong> which <strong>the</strong> indices arebeing created. The UNlifecombine subjective andHabitat city prosperityobjective measures. In 2003,index is primarily aimed<strong>the</strong> European Environmental at city leaders andAgency investigated eight national governments.domains <strong>of</strong> individualTherefore, <strong>the</strong> qualitylife situations in 25 EU<strong>of</strong> life indicators in <strong>the</strong>index include healthmember <strong>state</strong>s, rangingand education andfrom economic situation,various infrastructurehousing and employment indicators.to work-life balance, health,subjective well-being andperceived quality <strong>of</strong> life. 6The international human resource consulting firm, Mercer,focuses on <strong>the</strong> quality <strong>of</strong> life <strong>of</strong> expatriates, taking in criteriasuch as availability <strong>of</strong> consumer goods, <strong>the</strong> economicenvironment, <strong>the</strong> natural, political and social environmentsas well as recreation amenities. 7Quality <strong>of</strong> Life: A Syn<strong>the</strong>sis <strong>of</strong> AllDimensions <strong>of</strong> ProsperityQuality <strong>of</strong> life underpins <strong>the</strong>functionality <strong>of</strong> <strong>cities</strong>: <strong>the</strong>notion is at <strong>the</strong> crossroads<strong>of</strong> all policies and actions 8 ,and a syn<strong>the</strong>sis <strong>of</strong> all <strong>the</strong>dimensions <strong>of</strong> prosperity.When a city generatesemployment and economicgrowth, quality <strong>of</strong> lifeimproves. When a citydesigns better buildingsfact“Quality <strong>of</strong> lifeis <strong>of</strong>ten tiedto <strong>the</strong> opportunitiesavailable to people,to <strong>the</strong> meaning andpurpose <strong>the</strong>y attach to<strong>the</strong>ir lives and to <strong>the</strong>extent to which <strong>the</strong>yenjoy <strong>the</strong> possibilitiesavailable to <strong>the</strong>m”. 259
State <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> World’s Cities <strong>2012</strong>/<strong>2013</strong>and public spaces thatCities thatprovide attractive,policy improve qualitysecure, clean and<strong>of</strong> life experience higherdurable surroundings,levels <strong>of</strong> prosperity; <strong>the</strong>yare also likely to findit is improving quality<strong>the</strong>mselves more advanced<strong>of</strong> life. When a cityin terms <strong>of</strong> sustainability.provides adequatepublic transport, itimproves quality <strong>of</strong>life for both usersand non-users. When a city raises levels <strong>of</strong> education andprovides good healthcare it is ensuring quality <strong>of</strong> life for<strong>the</strong> foreseeable future. And when a city reduces <strong>the</strong> use<strong>of</strong> environmental resources and becomes more energyefficient,it also improves quality <strong>of</strong> life.According to <strong>the</strong>UN-Habitat survey(2011), on balance expertsvalue security to liveand work freely, goodquality <strong>of</strong> education,adequate housing withbasic services, andmeaningful employmentand decent income as <strong>the</strong>most important factorspromoting quality <strong>of</strong> life and prosperity in <strong>the</strong>ir <strong>cities</strong>.In Europe, a survey on perceived quality <strong>of</strong> life in75 <strong>cities</strong> (2010) shows that ‘<strong>the</strong> three most important issuesfor <strong>the</strong> city’ were: educational facilities, job creation/reduceunemployment and <strong>the</strong> availability and quality <strong>of</strong> healthservices, among seven o<strong>the</strong>r alternatives such as socialservices, housing conditions, air pollution, noise, publictransport, infrastructure and safety. 9It remains that, as perceived by experts and residentsin developing and developed countries alike, <strong>the</strong> quality <strong>of</strong>urban life is a broader concept that includes a full range <strong>of</strong>factors such as economic development, living standards,material progress and individual and collective wellbeing,which all are important dimensions <strong>of</strong> prosperity.factExperts from52 <strong>cities</strong> considerquality <strong>of</strong> life as <strong>the</strong> secondmost important dimensionpromoting prosperity in<strong>cities</strong>, after infrastructuredevelopment.policyIt is in any city’sbest interest topromote public goods suchas public transport, greenareas and public spacesand ‘urban commons’ suchas safety and security andpolitical participation inorder to enhance quality <strong>of</strong>life and shared prosperity.Accessibility, environmental sustainability and health: cyclists on dedicated cycle lanes inCopenhagen, Denmark.© Anne-Britt Svinnset/Shutterstock.com60
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