Quality of Life in Poor Neighborhoods through the Lenses of the Capability Approach—A Case Study of a Deprived Area of Łódź City Centre

Abstract

The aim of the paper is to identify the mechanisms shaping the quality of life of the residents of poor neighborhoods based on the example of a deprived area of Łódź city center. To analyze this multidimensional phenomenon, the capability approach is used with a special focus on conversion factors that limit the pursuit of preferred lifestyles. Based on 80 in–depth interviews with residents and register data from public authorities (at the building level, which enables presenting the detailed spatial distribution of the analyzed issues), individual trajectories in the form of individual mechanisms have been established and then aggregated. The aggregation is presented as a web of social exclusion. The collected information has allowed the author to create a categorization of conversion factors in degraded areas that take into account their interrelationships and complex cause–effect mechanisms. The classification is constructed using the following categories: housing conditions, economic wealth, knowledge and skills, norms, attitudes and social capital, work environment, and life conditions (defined mainly as access to public services and space). Combining quantitative data (at the building level) with qualitative data provided the author with crucial input for the identification of specific public policy actions that can affect conversion factors.

Perceptions of Environmental Awareness and Pro-Environmental Behaviour of People in the Riverfront City, Pekanbaru City, Riau, Indonesia

“…So it is necessary to socialize the mechanism of the Waste Bank system, one of which is sorting household waste. This positive perception is formed mainly due to the living environment conducive to implementing household waste management [12,13].…”

“…These results align with the principle that the neighborhood is the third important context that shapes the quality of life, besides family and school. The Children's Worlds survey also showed that neighborhood factors can explain variations in children's life satisfaction, even after considering demographic factors and family and school-related factors [12,13,21]. Empowerment in environmental management is one of the principles of ecological development.…”

Quality of Life as a Limiting Factor in the Development of the Region along the Great Bačka Canal (Serbia)

“…Considering the fact that quality of life is a complex concept [45], it is not possible to provide a single accurate definition [46]. Some of the definitions of this concept are more general, such as "the level of what makes life good or high quality" [47] or that it is the "necessary preconditions for happiness" [48]; meanwhile, others are more specific: "a quality way of life is the desired outcome of policies and programs" [49].…”

Inclusion of Gender Views for the Evaluation and Mitigation of Urban Vulnerability: A Case Study in Castellón

“…In fact, they point out that there is a clear feminization of poverty despite the fact that the city's population of women is approximately 50% [98]. The complexity of negative phenomena in poor neighborhoods overlaps with the already multidimensional phenomenon [99]. The recently developed Urban Land Plan of Castellón identified vulnerable areas in the city and a previous model was used to assess vulnerability [52].…”