Defining parameters for urban-environmental quality assessment

Abstract

Measuring the quality of the urban environment has been a matter of research rooted in different fields of knowledge. Several methods and indicators have been deployed through the years, as have horizontal approaches from mixed perspectives. However, currently established indexes to measure urban performance depend on the actual definition of quality and on the weighted relevance of the different features influencing it. This contribution compares the level of emphasis paired by established indexes to measure urban quality, in contrast to what people mention the most when asked about what they like or dislike about the urban environment. The underlying idea is to obtain firsthand information about the way people make decisions about their movements in urban space. As a result, the authors observe a lack of correlation between the two groups of indicators and between the key urban elements driving positive and negative emotions. In conclusion, the authors observe a tendency of people to perceive and report individual physical elements rather than intangible concepts like safety or comfort.