Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in
Book cover

Investigating Quality of Urban Life pp 33–53Cite as

Objective Measurement of Quality of Life Using Secondary Data Analysis

  • Chapter
  • First Online:

Part of the book series: Social Indicators Research Series ((SINS,volume 45))

Abstract

This chapter focuses on approaches to analyzing objective quality of life (QOL) using aggregated spatial data, particularly in an urban context. It reviews the evolution of studies from the 1960s and 1970s when a vast literature was produced on social and territorial social indicators. The literature ranges from measuring dimensions of well-being to recent approaches in which spatial econometric modeling is used to study objective indicators of QOUL. The latter studies often emphasize the measurement of urban amenity. The chapter also summarizes numerous initiatives to rank cities according to their QOL and livability.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution.

Chapter
USD   29.95
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
eBook
USD   129.00
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as EPUB and PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
Softcover Book
USD   169.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Compact, lightweight edition
  • Dispatched in 3 to 5 business days
  • Free shipping worldwide - see info
Hardcover Book
USD   169.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Durable hardcover edition
  • Dispatched in 3 to 5 business days
  • Free shipping worldwide - see info

Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout

Purchases are for personal use only

Learn about institutional subscriptions

References

  • Agoe, C. (1970). Social indicators: selected readings. Annals of the Association of American Academy of Political Science, 388, 127–132.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Bauer, R. A. (Ed.). (1967). Social indicators. Cambridge: MIT Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Blomquist, G. C., Berger, M. C., & Hoehn, J. P. (1988). New estimates of quality of life in urban areas. The American Economic Review, 78(1), 89–107.

    Google Scholar 

  • Boyer, R., & Savageau, D. (1981). Places rated almanac. Chicago: Rand McNally.

    Google Scholar 

  • Boyer, R., & Savageau, D. (1985). Places rated almanac. Chicago: Rand McNally.

    Google Scholar 

  • Boyer, R., & Savageau, D. (1989). Places rated almanac. New York: Prentice-Hall.

    Google Scholar 

  • Brule, T. (2009). The city of your dreams, Financial Times, ‘House and home’, June 13/14, p. 1.

    Google Scholar 

  • Cicerchia, A. (1996). Measures of optimal centrality: Indicators of city effect and urban overloading. Social Indicators Research, 46, 276–299.

    Google Scholar 

  • Clark, W. A. V., & Ledwith, V. (2006). Mobility, housing stress, and neighborhood contexts: Evidence from Los Angeles. Environment and Planning A, 38(6), 1077–1093.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Coughlin, R. E. (1970). Goal attainment levels in 101 metropolitan areas (Discussion Paper No. 41). Philadelphia: Regional Science Research Institute, .

    Google Scholar 

  • Culyer, A. J., Lavers, R. J., & Williams, A. (1972). Health indicators. In S. Shaw & A. Scheonfield (Eds.), Social indicators and social policy (pp. 94–118). London: Heinemann.

    Google Scholar 

  • Cummins, R. (2000). Objective and subjective quality of life: An interactive model. Social Indicators Research, 52(1), 55–72.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Cummins, R., & Nistico, H. (2002). Maintaining life satisfaction: The role of positive cognitive bias. Journal of Happiness Studies, 3, 37–69.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Cutter, S. (1985). Rating places: A geographer’s view on quality of life. Washington, DC: Association of American Geographers.

    Google Scholar 

  • D’Andrea, S. S. (1998). Italian quality of life. Social Indicators Research, 44(1), 5–39.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Dahmann, D. C. (1985). Assessments of neighborhood quality in metropolitan America. Urban Affairs Quarterly, 20(4), 511–535.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Diener, E., & Suh, E. (1997). Measuring quality of life: Economic, social and subjective indicators. Social Indicators Research, 40(1), 189–216.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • General Statistical Office. (1970). Social Trends, No. 1. London: Her Majesty’s Stationery Office.

    Google Scholar 

  • Gross, B. M. (1966). The state of the nation: Social systems accounting. London: Tavistock Publications.

    Google Scholar 

  • Gross, B. M. (1967). Social goals and indicators for American Society. Philadelphia: American Academy for Political and Social Science.

    Google Scholar 

  • Hoffenberg, M. (1970). Comments on ‘Measuring progress towards social goals: Some possibilities and at national and local levels’ [Terelekyj, 1970]. Management Science, 16, B779–B783.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Jones, M. V., & Flax, M. J. (1970). The quality of life in metropolitan Washington, D.C: Some statistical benchmarks. Washington, DC: The Urban Institute.

    Google Scholar 

  • Land, K. C. (1970). Social indicators. In R. B. Smith (Ed.), Social science methods (pp. 216–232). New York: The Free Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Landis, J. D., & Sawicki, D. S. (1988). A planners guide to the places rated almanac. Journal of the American Planning Association, 54(3), 336–346.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Liu, B. (1975). Quality of life indicators in U.S. metropolitan areas, 1970. Washington: Washington Environmental Research Center.

    Google Scholar 

  • Lu, M. (1998). Analyzing migration decision making: Relationships between residential satisfaction, mobility intentions, and moving behavior. Environment and Planning A, 30(8), 1473–1495.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Marans, R. W. (2003). Understanding environmental quality through quality of life studies: The 2001 DAS and its use of subjective and objective indicators. Landscape and Urban Planning, 65(1–2), 73–83.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • McCrea, R. (2007). Urban quality of life: Linking objective dimensions and subjective evaluations of the urban environment. Unpublished PhD thesis, The University of Queensland, Brisbane.

    Google Scholar 

  • McVeigh, T. (1971). Social indicators: A bibliography. Monticello: Council of Planning Librarians Exchange Bibliography No. 52.

    Google Scholar 

  • Moser, C. (1970). Measuring quality of life. New Society, 428, 1042–1043. Dec.10.

    Google Scholar 

  • Perle, E. D. (1970). Social reporting in Michigan: Problems and issues, Office of Planning Coordination, Bureau of Policies and Programs (Technical Report A 37). State of Michigan.

    Google Scholar 

  • Perloff, H. (1969). A framework for dealing with the urban environment: Introductory statement. In H. Perloff (Ed.), The quality of the urban environment (pp. 3–25). Washington, DC: Resources for the Future.

    Google Scholar 

  • Perz, S. G. (2000). The quality of urban environments in the Brazilian Amazon. Social Indicators Research, 49(2), 181–212.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Rogerson, R. J., Findlay, A. M., Morris, A. S., & Coombes, M. G. (1989). Indicators of Quality of Life – Some Methodological Issues. Environment and Planning A, 21(12), 1655–1666.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Santos, L. D., & Martins, I. (2007). Monitoring urban quality of life: The Porto experience. Social Indicators Research, 80(2), 411–425.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Savageau, D. (2007). Places Rated Almanac: The classic guide to finding the best places to live. Washington, DC: Places Rated Books LLC.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Scheonfield, A., & Shaw, S. (Eds.). (1972). Social indicators and social policy. London: Heinemann.

    Google Scholar 

  • Schwirian, K. P., Nelson, A. L., & Schwirian, P. M. (1995). Modeling urbanism – Economic, social and environmental-stress in cities. Social Indicators Research, 35(2), 201–223.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Sheldon, E. B. & Moore, W. E. (Eds.). (1968) Indicators of social change: Concepts & measurements. New York: Russell Sage Foundation.

    Google Scholar 

  • Smith, D. M. (1972). Towards a geography of social well-being: inter-state variations in the United States. In R. Peet (Ed.), Geographical perspectives on American poverty, Antipode monographs in Social Geography, No. 1 (pp. 17–46).

    Google Scholar 

  • Smith, D. M. (1973). The geography of social well-being in the United States: An introduction to territorial social indicators. New York: McGraw Hill.

    Google Scholar 

  • Smith, D. M., & Gray, R. J. (1972). Social indicators for Tampa, Florida (Mimeo Report). Urban Studies Bureau, University of Florida.

    Google Scholar 

  • Stagner, R. (1970). Perceptions, aspirations, frustrations, and satisfactions: An approach to urban indicators. The Annals of the American Academy of Political and Social Science, 388, 59–68.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Stover, M. E., & Leven, C. L. (1992). Methodological issues in the determination of the quality-of-life in urban areas. Urban Studies, 29(5), 737–754.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • The Urban Institute. (1971, May–June). Developing urban indicators: Some first steps, Search, 1(3). Washington, DC.

    Google Scholar 

  • U.S. Department of Health, Education and Welfare. (1969). Toward a social report. Washington, DC: USGPO.

    Google Scholar 

  • U.S. Office of Education. (1969). Toward master social indicators, Research Memorandum 67. Washington, DC: Educational Policy Research Center.

    Google Scholar 

  • Wilson, J. (1969). Quality of life in the United States. Kansas City: Midwest Research Institute.

    Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Australian Urban Research Infrastructure Network (AURIN), Faculty of Architecture, Building and Planning, University of Melbourne, VIC, 3010, Melbourne, Australia

    Robert Stimson

  2. Institute for Social Research, University of Michigan, 1248, Ann Arbor, MI, 48106, USA

    Robert W. Marans

Authors
  1. Robert Stimson
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Robert W. Marans
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Robert Stimson .

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. Inst. Social Research, University of Michigan, Thompson St. 426, Ann Arbor, 48106-1248, Michigan, USA

    Robert W. Marans

  2. Network (AURIN), University of Melbourne, Architecture Building and Planning, Australian Urban Research Infrastructure, Melbourne, 3010, Victoria, Australia

    Robert J. Stimson

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

Copyright information

© 2011 Springer Science+Business Media B.V.

About this chapter

Cite this chapter

Stimson, R., Marans, R.W. (2011). Objective Measurement of Quality of Life Using Secondary Data Analysis. In: Marans, R., Stimson, R. (eds) Investigating Quality of Urban Life. Social Indicators Research Series, vol 45. Springer, Dordrecht. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-007-1742-8_2

Download citation

Publish with us

Policies and ethics

Search

Navigation