A Holistic Framework for Evaluating QOUL Linking Contemporary Planning Theories Principles

(Riham Salah, Mohga Embaby and Ehab Okba)

---

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.
PDF

References

Abbate, R., Giambalvo, O. and Milito, A.M. (2001). Service and life quality: The case of Palermo. Social Indicators Research, 54(3), 275–308. DOI: 10.1023/A:1011032801904
Alvarez, A. and Müller-Eie, D. (2017). Quality of Urban life and its relationship to spatial conditions. WIT Transactions on Ecology and the Environment, 223(25), 285–96. DOI:10.2495/SC170251
Ardestani, L., Choobchian, S., Sadighi, H., Azadi, H., Viira, A.H., Tanaskovik, V. and Kurban, A. (2022). Investigating subjective and objective quality of life in rural areas: The case of Tehran Province in Iran. Applied Research in Quality of Life, n/a(n/a), 1–32. DOI: 10.1007/s11482-020-09897-0
Bovkir, R., Ustaoglu, E. and Aydinoglu, A.C. (2023). Assessment of urban quality of life index at local scale with different weighting approaches. Social Indicators Research, 165(2), 655–78. DOI: 10.1007/s11205-022-03036-y
Chapman, D.W. and Larkham, P.J. (1999). Urban design, urban quality and the quality of life: Reviewing the department of the environment’s urban design campaign. Journal of Urban Design, 4(2), 211–32. DOI: 10.1080/13574809908724447
Chiarini, B., D’Agostino, A., Marzano, E. and Regoli, A. (2021). Air quality in urban areas: Comparing objective and subjective indicators in European countries. Ecological Indicators, 121(n/a), 1–9. DOI: 10.1016/j.ecolind.2020.107144
Cömertler, S. (2017). Greens of the European green capitals. IOP Conference Series: Materials Science and Engineering, 245(5), 52064. DOI: 10.1088/1757-899X/245/5/052064
Cummins, R.A. (2000). Objective and subjective auality of life: An interactive model. Social Indicators Research, 52(1), 55–72. DOI: 10.1023/A:1007027822521
Debrah, C., Owusu-Manu, D.G., Kissi, E., Oduro-Ofori, E. and Edwards, D.J. (2020). Barriers to green cities development in developing countries: evidence from Ghana. Smart and sustainable built environment, 11(3), 438–53. DOI: 10.1108/SASBE-06-2020-0089
Discoli, C., Martini, I., San Juan, G., Barbero, D., Dicroce, L., Ferreyro, C. and Esparza, J. (2014). Methodology aimed at evaluating urban life quality levels. Sustainable Cities and Society, 10(n/a), 140–8. DOI: 10.1016/j.scs.2013.08.002
Duan, J., Liao, J., Liu, J., Gao, X., Shang, A. and Huang, Z. (2023). Evaluating the spatial quality of urban living streets: A case study of hengyang city in central South China. Sustainability, 15(13), 10623.
Elkawy, A. and Ahmed, A. (2023). A framework of EBRD green urbanism program for developing new Egyptian Cities by Using GIS and remote sensing (Case Study: Six October City). SVU-International Journal of Engineering Sciences and Applications, 4(2), 47–75. DOI: 10.21608/SVUSRC.2023.186364.1098
Forsyth, A. (2021). Theories and planning theories. Journal of the American Planning Association, 87(2), 155–8. DOI:10.1080/01944363.2021.1885267
Garau, C. and Pavan, V.M. (2018). Evaluating urban quality: Indicators and assessment tools for smart sustainable cities. Sustainability, 10(3), 575. DOI: 10.3390/su10030575
Gomaa, A.A. and Fouad, F.M. (2022). Taqyim mustawi jawdat alhayaat fi albiyat alhadariat bialmudun aljadidat fi misr (dirasat halati: madinat hadayiq 'uktubar)‘Evaluating The Quality of Life in Urban Environments in New Cities in Egypt (Case Study: October Gardens city)’. Journal of Urban Research, 46(1), 47–75. DOI: 10.21608/JUR.2022.123228.1089. [in Arabic]
Grant, J.L. (2019). Vision 20/20: Planning theory and practice, past and future. Planning Theory and Practice, 20(2), 159–62. DOI: 10.1080/14649357.2019.1607217
Kaushik, K. (2018). Dreams of the Smart Cities - a Sustainability Perspective. Botanica, 68(n/a), 60–72.
Koçak Güngör, M. and Terzi, F. (2022). Residential satisfaction and quality of urban life: Examining diverse housing environments. Archnet-IJAR: International Journal of Architectural Research. n/a(n/a), n/a. DOI: 10.1108/ARCH-01-2022-0014
Kubiszewski, I., Zakariyya, N. and Costanza, R. (2018). Objective and subjective indicators of life satisfaction in Australia: How well do people perceive what supports a good life?. Ecological Economics, 154(n/a), 361–72. DOI: 10.1016/j.ecolecon.2018.08.017
Liu, L., Jensen, M.B. and Zhang, X. (2019). Urban water management in beijing and copenhagen: Sustainability, climate resilience, and the local water balance. Greening China’s Urban Governance: Tackling Environmental and Sustainability Challenges, n/a(n/a), 89–106. DOI: 10.1007/978-981-13-0740-9_5
Liu, S., Guo, H. and Su, L. (2023). Evaluation of quality of life in urban life circles from a composite perspective of subjective needs and the supply of public amenities: A case study of changbai island, shenyang. Sustainability, 15(13), 10095. DOI: 10.3390/su151310095
Liu, W., He, X., Song, L. and Liu, S. (2018). Urban-rural differences in subjective quality of life in Dehui. Management Theory and Studies for Rural Business and Infrastructure Development, 40(4), 563–76.
Lotfi, S. and Koohsari, M.J. (2009). Analyzing accessibility dimension of urban quality of life: Where urban designers face duality between subjective and objective reading of place. Social Indicators Research, 94(n/a), 417–35. DOI: 10.1007/s11205-009-9438-5
Marans, R.W. (2012). Quality of urban life studies: An overview and implications for environment-behaviour research. Procedia-Social and Behavioral Sciences, 35(n/a), 9–22. DOI:10.1016/j.sbspro.2012.02.058
Marans, R.W. (2015). Quality of urban life and environmental sustainability studies: Future linkage opportunities. Habitat International, 45(n/a), 47–52. DOI:10.1016/j.habitatint.2014.06.019
Marans, R.W. and Stimson, R. (2011). An overview of quality of urban life. Investigating quality of urban life: Theory, methods, and empirical research, n/a(n/a), 1–29. DOI: 10.1007/978-94-007-1742-8_1
McCrea, R. (2007). Urban Quality of Life: Linking Objective Dimensions and Subjective Evaluations of The Urban Environment. PhD Thesis, University of Queensland, Queensland, Australia.
Mohamed, R.S., Bakr, A.F. and Anany, Y.M. (2017). New urban indicators for evaluating urban polices in Egypt: City capacity and capability (Capa2). Procedia Environmental Sciences, 37(n/a), 53–67. DOI: 10.1016/j.proenv.2017.03.017
Mulligan, G., Carruthers, J. and Cahill, M. (2004). Urban quality of life and public policy: A survey. Contributions to Economic Analysis, 266(n/a), 729–802. DOI: 10.1108/S0573-8555(2005)0000266024
Murgaš, F. and Klobučník, M. (2018). Quality of life in the city, quality of urban life or well-being in the city: Conceptualization and case study. Ekológia (Bratislava), 37(2), 183–200. DOI:10.2478/eko-2018-0016
Nassar, U. (2013). Principles of green urbanism: The absent value in Cairo, Egypt. International Journal of Social Science and Humanity, 3(4), 339–43. DOI: 10.7763/IJSSH.2013.V3.258
Okba, E.M, Embaby, M.E and Abd-Almonem, R.M. (2016). Tawjih 'iidarat aleumran min khilal tatbiq watafeil muashirat altanmiat almustadama ‘Directing construction management through the application and activating the indicators of sustainable development’. Journal of the Egyptian Society of Engineers, 55(1), 69–82. [in Arabic]
Popescu, A.I. (2020). Long-term city innovation trajectories and quality of urban life. Sustainability, 12(24), 10587. DOI: 10.3390/su122410587
Porter, D.R. (2002). Making Smart Growth Work. Washington DC: Urban Land Institute.
Sousa-Gomes, M.C., Luís, R.P.M. and Gomes dos Santos, G. (2010). Quality of life: A reappraisal. International Journal of Sociology and Social Policy, 30(9/10), 559–80. DOI:10.1108/01443331011072307
Sultan, B., Katar, I.M. and Al-Atroush, M.E. (2021). Towards sustainable pedestrian mobility in Riyadh city, Saudi Arabia: A case study. Sustainable Cities and Society, 69(n/a), 102831. DOI: 10.1016/j.scs.2021.102831
Taqi, O.S., Farid, M. and Radwan, A.H. (2021). The importance of quality of urban life indicators in developing new urban communities in cairo. MEJ. Mansoura Engineering Journal, 46(2), 58–66. DOI: 10.21608/bfemu.2021.184361
Van-Kamp, I., Leidelmeijer, K., Marsman, G. and De Hollander, A. (2003). Urban environmental quality and human well-being: Towards a conceptual framework and demarcation of concepts; a literature study. Landscape and Urban Planning, 65(1–2), 5–18. DOI: 10.1016/S0169-2046(02)00232-3
von-Wirth, T., Grêt-Regamey, A. and Stauffacher, M. (2015). Mediating effects between objective and subjective indicators of urban quality of life: Testing specific models for safety and access. Social Indicators Research, 122(1), 189–210. DOI:10.1007/s11205-014-0682-y
Ye, L., Mandpe, S. and Meyer, P.B. (2005). What is “smart growth?”—Really? Journal of Planning Literature, 19(3), 301–15. DOI: 10.1177/0885412204271668