Quality of Urban Life: Livability Criteria in Today's Cities, with Focus on the City of Shiraz

Document Type : Original Article

Authors

Assistant Professor, Department of Urbanism, Faculty of Art & Architecture, Bu-Ali Sina University, Hamedan, Iran

Abstract

    The decline in the quality of life has become one of the important challenges for policymakers in recent decades. The quality of life is one of the key issues in urban planning that includes physical, social, economic and institutional dimensions. This study aims to explain a theoretical framework derived from international theories and attempts to explain the key components in measuring the quality of life and, as a result, examine the livability indicators in cities. In Iran, the rapid urbanization process, population concentration in metropolises, spatial inequality in access to services and pressure on urban infrastructure have caused many cities to face a decrease in the quality of life and a decline in livability indicators. A review of experiences shows that the weakness of the public transportation system, environmental pollution and economic challenges are among the most important factors affecting the quality of life in Iran. This study seeks to measure the quality of life in Shiraz by developing a theoretical framework. Based on a comprehensive framework of global and domestic indicators, the present study examines dimensions such as environment and sustainability, transportation and accessibility, economic and social well-being, participation and social capital, public services, security, quality of housing and urban spaces, education, health, and urban governance, with a special focus on the Shiraz metropolis. The findings show that Shiraz has special capacities for improving the quality of life due to its cultural-historical position. However, spatial inequality in access to services, poor public transportation, and economic pressures on households are issues that Shiraz citizens suffer from. The conclusion indicates that improving the quality of life in Shiraz requires a comprehensive approach that, while taking advantage of cultural and social capacities, focuses on developing infrastructure, strengthening public transportation, promoting social capital, and formulating local policies appropriate to the city's contextual characteristics.

Highlights

  • Achieving a theoretical framework for measuring livability components in Iranian cities
  • Reviewing the most up-to-date national and international documents and different perspectives to support this theoretical framework
  • Possibility of continuous monitoring of livability components with the findings of this research for the use of urban management

Keywords

References

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History

  • Receive Date: 13 March 2025
  • Revise Date: 05 April 2025
  • Accept Date: 30 April 2025
  • First Publish Date: 19 June 2025
  • Publish Date: 19 June 2025

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