A population survey to evaluate residents' quality of life through neighborhood satisfaction in Kuala Lumpur

Abstract

The concept of quality of life as a multi-dimensional construct is not new and concerns the essential aspects of human existence which is dating far back to early Greek philosophy like Aristotle. But, there has been widespread interest and many attempts in recent years in the field of quality of life to measure how environment affect the well-being of people. In fact, quality of life is being evidently a concept of powerful resonance in contemporary life representing vast areas of human interests, and referred to as a theme for measuring peoples’ satisfactions and living conditions in a manner capable of understanding community actual needs, tracking changes in different aspects of life and assessing types of development most desired for the future among citizens. In this sense, the environmental domain of quality of life is considered as an important basic domain in predicting overall quality of life. The environment within which we live can be divided to the spatial component such as regions, cities and neighborhoods. Neighborhood as the most basic environmental unit which may be seen as a source of place-identity and an element of urban form, affects the quality of residents’ life through its significant characteristics. In relation to this, the aim of the study is to evaluate such qualities in the selected neighborhood near the central area of Kuala Lumpur that contribute to residents’ quality of life through neighborhood satisfaction. Hence, the numbers of neighborhood characteristics have been tested against peoples’ preferences through questionnaires in order to define how people living in a particular place actually perceived their neighborhood environment and which characteristics of such neighborhood are driving people to rate the quality of their life more highly. Therefore, the researcher is able to conclude that good accessibility, transport facilities and the associated land use mix had contributed towards meeting the needs and demands of the residents.