Urban Environmental Quality: Perceptions and Measures in Three UK cities

The recent promotion of city center living within United Kingdom (UK) policy has led to commensurate interest in the quality of the urban environment, particularly in the impact and influence that environmental quality has on quality of life and urban sustainability. This paper presents an overview of a study into environmental quality, looking at the environmental conditions and the opinions and experiences of people who live in three of the UK’s major cities; London, Sheffield and Manchester. Environmental quality is both subjective and objective in its nature, and it is this combination that is of particular interest to this study. An innovative multi-method approach, combining qualitative and quantitative data collection techniques, has been developed and employed. Environmental monitoring (indoor and outdoor air quality and noise levels) was undertaken alongside participant lead photo-surveys, sound-walks and semistructured interviews with city center residents. The case studies provide a detailed insight into the components that influence environmental quality; both perceived and measured. The collection and analysis of data has led to the production of ‘local environmental quality maps’ - spatial representations of local and expert knowledge on urban environmental factors. These maps offer a way to feed different perspectives on environmental issues to decision makers for future policy development. The findings of this study help to understand the influence environmental quality has on quality of life, this in turn can aid urban policy, planning and design. The wider implications of this study to the concept of urban sustainability are also discussed.

• Availability:
  • Find a library where document is available. Order URL: http://worldcat.org/isbn/1845640403
• Corporate Authors:

  WIT Press

  Computational Mechanics, 25 Bridge Street
  Billerica, MA  United States  01821
• Authors:
  • Moore, G
  • Croxford, B
  • Adams, M
  • Cox, T
  • Refaee, M
  • Sharples, S
• Conference:
  • 4th International Conference on Urban Regeneration and Sustainability (The Sustainable City)
  • Location: Tallinn , Estonia
  • Date: 2006-7-17 to 2006-7-19
• Publication Date: 2006-7

Language

• English

Media Info

• Media Type: Print
• Features: Figures; Photos; References; Tables;
• Pagination: pp 785-794
• Monograph Title: Sustainable City IV. Urban Regeneration and Sustainability

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Air quality; City planning; Environmental impacts; Environmental policy; Environmental quality; Noise; Quality of life; Sustainable development; Urban areas; Urban design; Urban development
• Geographic Terms: United Kingdom
• Subject Areas: Environment; Planning and Forecasting; Policy; Public Transportation; Society;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 01042583
• Record Type: Publication
• ISBN: 1845640403
• Files: TRIS
• Created Date: Mar 1 2007 8:39AM