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Monitoring Urban Quality of Life: The Porto Experience

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Abstract

This paper describes the monitorin g system of the urban quality of life developed by the Porto City Council, a new tool being used to support urban planning and management. The two components of this system – a quantitative approach based on statistical indicators and a qualitative analysis based on the citizens’ perceptions of the conditions of life – are presented. The strengths and weaknesses of these two approaches adopted in the project are reviewed. It is argued that, in order to achieve a deeper understanding and more effective measurement of urban quality of life, both kinds of measurements are useful and complement each other.

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Correspondence to Luis Delfim Santos.

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Santos, L.D., Martins, I. Monitoring Urban Quality of Life: The Porto Experience. Soc Indic Res 80, 411–425 (2007). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11205-006-0002-2

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