Mapping urban well-being with Quality Of Life Index (QOLI) at the fine-scale of grid data

Sci Rep. 2024 Apr 27;14(1):9680. doi: 10.1038/s41598-024-60241-0.

Abstract

Accessibility of transport infrastructure, commercial amenities, recreational facilities, and green spaces is widely recognised as crucial to the well-being of urban residents. However, these features are often unevenly distributed across the geographical boundaries of a city, leading to disparities in the local quality of life. This study focuses on the city of Warsaw, Poland, and uses the aforementioned characteristics and the framework of the '15-min city' concept to construct a grid-level urban Quality of Life Index (QOLI) that facilitates comparisons between the city's districts and local neighbourhoods. The results of our study reveal a "high-inside, low-outside" pattern of quality of life, characterised by higher standards of living in the central districts and lower standards at the city's periphery.

Keywords: 15-min city; Proximity; Quality of life; Urban economics; Urban planning; Well-being.