A Semi-Empirical Determination of Perceived Liveability

Liveability is a concept closely related to the notion of well-being and refers to the environmental conditions that contribute to the quality of life, alongside individual features. Subjective and objective measurements of liveability are both of considerable practical and theoretical importance. A survey is conducted in this paper by which individuals tend to shape their preferences according to six factors describing various aspects of living conditions: (1) home, (2) neighbourhood, (3) transport, (4) entertainment, (5) services and (6) work. The survey data helps us to work out some indicators representing the perceived liveability in the targeted areas. A linear mixed model is used to explore possible relationships between objective factors and perceived liveability. A model-based estimate of liveability index can be then calculated for each non-sampled individual based on his/her socio-demographic characteristics and area of living.