Measuring Quality of Life in Urban Areas: Toward an Integrated Approach

Abstract

The paper examines the various aspects involved in contextualizing and measuring quality of life (QOL) in urban areas. The paper reports on an on-going research project that aims to establish multi-dimensional assessment system to measure QOL in Saudi Arabian cities. To develop a localized QOL measure that capture local aspects of QOL without losing the potential to compare data between different cities or regions, the paper critically analyzed and examined a wide range of conceptual and methodological issues related to QOL assessment and measurement. The study pointed out the need to adopt a multi-dimensional integrated approach that uses both a top-down and a bottom-up approach and incorporate secondary/objective data as well as primary data obtained through self-report surveys. An integrated framework to contextualize, operationalize and measure QOL in the Saudi context has been developed based on critical analysis of literature.

Assessing Urban Quality of Life: Developing the Criteria for Saudi Cities

“…The literature points out that QOL is still an obscured, amorphous, and contested concept (Prutkin and Feinstein, 2002;Schalock, 2004;Al-Qawasmi, 2019). However, there is agreement among researchers that QOL is a multidimensional construct that comprises subjective and objective dimensions which cover various aspects of life experience (McCrea et al 2006;Lora et al 2010;Von Wirth et al 2015;Al-Qawasmi, 2020). Urban QOL can be defined as the general well-being of people and societies living in cities and the quality of the environment in which they live (Slavuj, 2011;Al-Qawasmi, 2020).…”

“…However, there is agreement among researchers that QOL is a multidimensional construct that comprises subjective and objective dimensions which cover various aspects of life experience (McCrea et al 2006;Lora et al 2010;Von Wirth et al 2015;Al-Qawasmi, 2020). Urban QOL can be defined as the general well-being of people and societies living in cities and the quality of the environment in which they live (Slavuj, 2011;Al-Qawasmi, 2020). From this perspective, urban QOL embodies both objective attributes (extraneous environmental and place attributes) and subjective attributes (individual insights and perception of the material and nonmaterial conditions).…”

“…These thematic groups of QOL indicators are usually called QOL domains. Each domain is composed of a set of related QOL indicators that are unique and distinct from those under other domains (Hagerty et al 2001;Pacione, 2003;Al-Qawasmi, 2020). The QOL indicators, domains, and subdomains are usually related/linked together in hierarchical levels by a conceptual framework/model.…”

“…Thus, there is growing interest in developing metrics and tools to monitor and assess QOL in these cities and evaluate the efficiency of the deployed social and economic development policies and their impact on people. Several assessment tools have been developed and used for assessing and measuring urban QOL in various regions/ countries worldwide (Hagerty et al 2001;Al-Qawasmi, 2019;Al-Qawasmi, 2020). Most of these assessment tools utilize a set of QOL criteria (i.e., indicators, domains, and subdomains) that quantify the various attributes of urban QOL (Swain and Hollar, 2003;Al-Qawasmi, 2019;Al-Qawasmi, 2020).…”

“…Several assessment tools have been developed and used for assessing and measuring urban QOL in various regions/ countries worldwide (Hagerty et al 2001;Al-Qawasmi, 2019;Al-Qawasmi, 2020). Most of these assessment tools utilize a set of QOL criteria (i.e., indicators, domains, and subdomains) that quantify the various attributes of urban QOL (Swain and Hollar, 2003;Al-Qawasmi, 2019;Al-Qawasmi, 2020). The literature points out that QOL is a complex and multidimensional concept (see Kreitler and Kreitler, 2006;Lora et al 2010;Potter et al 2012;Von Wirth et al 2015;Al-Qawasmi, 2019); thus, an inclusive and multidimensional tool is needed to capture its various dimensions.…”