The Analysis of Resident Satisfaction as an Indicator of Environmental Quality

Abstract

This thesis is concerned with developing an indicator of environmental quality, based on behavioral and attitudinal responses of residents. It illustrates how housing policy since the war has attempted to act as a market stimulator rather than as a control, marked by the gradual change in emphasis from redevelopment to renovation. Attention is focussed on the role of improvement areas as improvement grant stimulators and their failure to fulfill expectations. This failure is attributed to inadequate knowledge of consumer attitudes and preferences. Part II examines the distributional influences of housing policy within the market. Particular attention is paid to the relationship between housing obsolescence and the factors which influence house value and the individuals propensity to invest in the dwelling. The various empirical approaches to the isolation of environmental attributes are examined and a system based on residents satisfaction levels is postulated. Adopting earlier research convention, dwelling attributes are categorised into those relating to the house, to the social and physical environments and accessibility. It is hypothesised that accessibility factors alone provide a coherant study unit and that individuals perceptions of accessibility can be explained by their regular journeys to other land uses. For a sample moved by redevelopment, the influence of specific activities on satisfaction is assessed before and after the move. The relationships between distance, time and other physical stimulii and perceptions of convenience are also examined. The study concludes by suggesting a way in which the technique could be used to monitor improvement areas and direct resources to those attributes most likely to increase satisfaction with an area.