STATE OF THE WORLD'S CITIES 2012/2013 Prosperity

Quality of Life: A Variety of Local Responses
UN-Habitat has identified some convergent and divergent
forms in which cities address quality of life.
Divergent city responses: Actions to improve quality of
life will largely depend on the stage of development of the
relevant country or city.
In most poor cities in the developing world, quality of
life is strongly associated with the provision of public goods
in the form of basic services such as water, sanitation and
electricity, and improvements in slum neighbourhoods.
Tanzania’s National Development Vision 2025 aims at
high quality of life for all the population, linking this notion
to economic growth and poverty reduction. 13 In Ho Chi
Minh City, quality of life is directly linked to improved
drainage, sewage collection and treatment systems, and
other public infrastructures such as road enlargements.
In middle-income countries, governments link quality of
life to various factors, from improved living environments
and enhanced material well-being to higher incomes. Experts
in cities as diverse as Fort-de-Fran ce (Martinique), Habana,
Cebu, Davao, and Beirut explicitly refer to the provision of a
decent house and a healthy environment as essential elements
for improved well-being and quality of life. In other cities
−Rosario, Bangalore, Hyderabad, Alexandria and Guarenas
(Venezuela) − improved solid waste disposal is perceived as
a major condition for better quality of life. Improvements
in healthcare services appear as another major factor. In
Singapore, Doha, Chongqing and Shenzhen, local experts
implicitly refer to good and affordable medical services for
all as a good way of improving quality of life. Shenzhen’s
universal healthcare system
and Tehran’s Urban Heart
Programme are good
Box 2.3.2
examples.
POLICy Equitable
cities
generalize access
to urban commons
and public goods,
preventing private
appropriation and
expanding the scope for
improved quality of life
for all.
Quality of Life, World-Class Cities and Social Inclusion
63
FACT
Quality of Life and Urban Prosperity
Experts in Beira, Algiers, Praia, Luanda and Addis
Ababa, among others, explicitly link improved quality
of life to slum upgrading and poverty reduction.
In rich countries, government responses to the need
for quality of life implicitly refer to access to a number
of goods and services and improvements in the domestic
living environment. Many
European cities emphasize
good transport, green open
spaces, culture and sports
facilities as major factors
behind better quality of life.
Although better paid jobs,
good levels of education
and health facilities always
feature in government
responses, quality of life is
increasingly associated to
an inclusive, well-planned,
healthy and supportive
environment. 14
FACT
Convergent city
responses: Beyond local
circumstances, some
aspects of quality of life
improvements can be found
in all types of country.
Northern
European
cities like Copenhagen,
Amsterdam, Groningen,
Berlin and Muenster
promote cycling and
walking as part of new
urban cultures and in
the pursuit of better
quality of life. Others
like Dresden, Vancouver
and Los Angeles have
launched into urban
conversion programmes
in cultural and historical
neighbourhoods,
adapting urban
infrastructure and
reusing open land
areas for better quality
of life.
Cities with aspirations to ‘world class’ status will typically equate this notion with competitiveness.
The 2007–2015 Dubai Long-term Strategic Development Plan declares these two notions as twin
objectives that will “establish the city as a preferred home for current and future residents by
improving the well-being of citizens and residents, and helping them live healthier lives enriched
with opportunity and choice. 15 In Doha, the capital of Qatar, transformation of the city into a
diversified knowledge-based economy is seen by public authorities as being contingent on the
development and upgrading of the education and skills of the population and improved quality of
life. 16 Singapore considers quality of life as a key competitive advantage to attract skilled foreign
labour and investment. 17 At a different level, a local expert in Beirut noted that ‘quality of life’ mostly
appeared in the advertising brochures of high-end property developments, in response to which
non-governmental organizations have used the same notion to draw attention to the lack of public
goods in the city, such as public or ‘green’ spaces. 18 In Santos, Brazil, quality of life is perceived as
involving social justice and inclusion, not just economic growth, as a precondition for sustainable
development.