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Territorial Quality of Life: ESPON measurement

The ESPON Quality of Life Measurements and Methodology project is currently developing a Conceptual Map of Territorial Quality of Life (TQoL) measurement.

This includes 9 quality of life domains and 22 sub-domains, framed in two pillars – quality of life enablers and quality of life outcomes – and covering the personal, socio-economic and ecological spheres.

In a nutshell, Territorial Quality of Life (TQoL) is measured with a systemic and multi-faceted approach including all the territorial enablers and objective and subjective dimensions necessary for life homeostasis – I.e. people living and flourishing - in a place. The TQoL measurement system is represented in the figure below.

Based on the TQoL conceptual map, the project is now investigating the availability and suitability of statistical indicators at different territories for measuring the different aspects of quality of life These indicators are not based on envisaging the active engagement of citizens in co-designing them or the implementation of new localised data collection campaigns, to provide better granularity of territorial information. In this respect, new technologies (big data) and participatory ‘citizens science’ processes could better integrate the needs and aspirations of the citizens in the QoL measurement and contribute to adopting in practice a ‘citizens centric’ approach.

Territorial quality of life measurement – added value for policymaking

Measuring TQoL is necessary to complement the measuring of the economic progress and competitiveness of territories. In particular, measuring quality of life enablers and outcomes, considering life maintenance and life flourishing conditions and trends is increasingly necessary in light of the COVID-19 crisis.

Policy-makers should consider measuring several of the factors proposed in the TQoL framework, in light of the COVID-19 pandemic. The potential changes to our way of life are manifold.

Just to name a few, the lockdowns caused by the COVID crisis – the largest global experiment in teleworking and homeschooling – could change our routines and lives more permanently. Working from home and flexible working arrangements could be adopted in a more general way in a “post-COVID” world, as well as distant schooling options (The Guardian, 2020). Where the digital transition is possible, this could also mark a watershed moment for workplace inclusivity, in particular for people with disabilities or mobility problems. Working from home could have some direct benefits, ranging from cost savings for employers to a collective reduction in millions of miles of unnecessary commutes, with indirect impacts of reducing traffic accidents, pollution and fuel consumption, and increasing mental/social health. But there are of course also implications in relation to who can work from home and who cannot, creating potentially new inequalities and divides.

Moreover, how will the pandemic fundamentally change the way we come together and share space How will COVID-19 fundamentally shift the way our cities are designed to be pandemic resilient and, more broadly, how we practice urban planning?

Finally, the crisis offers us the opportunity to reset our relationship with nature (The Guardian, 2020b). This could be a pivotal moment to reflect on and reimagine what conservation and wildlife protection could look like and allow us to respectfully rebuild the broken boundaries with nature that have resulted in the situation we are in today.

All the above policy matters would greatly benefit from a new system of TQoL measurement, as the ESPON QoL study is currently designing and testing.

Note: The TQoL framework does not include GDP or local productivity indicators, and the “healthy economy” indicators refer only to aspects of distribution, equity, economic cohesion in the territory. Local productivity indicators are obviously important for local/regional development strategies, but the TQoL “healthy economy” indicators focus on the spill-over of economic progress in terms of benefits for the citizens. In this respect, the TQoL indicators are complementary to GDP measurement – an orthogonal, not a collinear factor.

This article appears in Green infrastructure and reuse of spaces

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