A Holistic Framework for Evaluating QOUL Linking Contemporary Planning Theories Principles

Abstract

The new urban theories (e.g. sustainable development and smart growth) prioritise inclusive, safe, resilient, and sustainable urban planning protocols to improve the quality of urban life (QOUL). In response, researchers have developed various indicators to assess and monitor QOUL. However, these indicators are not currently linked to contemporary planning theory (CUPT) indicators, representing a limitation in their applicability. Therefore, this study proposes a detailed examination of CUPT principles and their contribution to QOUL to address this limitation. Initially, a comprehensive review of the existing QOUL indicators and CUPT principles is conducted to provide a foundation for identifying conventional QOUL. Then, a comparative analysis is performed to identify gaps and overlaps between the current QOUL indicators and the principles of CUPT. By translating these principles into measurable subjective and objective indicators, we aim to advance the measurement of QOUL. Following this, the extracted indicators from CUPT are added to the final proposal. The proposed framework encompasses six objective sub-dimensions with 17 indicators and four subjective sub-dimensions with 13 indicators. This offers a holistic framework for evaluating QOUL.