Liveability

Liveability refers to the overall suitability of a place for living well. It encompasses material conditions, such as housing, transport, health services, and safety, as well as social and cultural factors that influence everyday life. The concept is widely used in urban planning to evaluate current conditions and guide improvements that enhance residents’ well-being over time.

Common dimensions include safety and security; health and healthcare access; housing affordability and quality; education and training opportunities; employment and income; mobility and transport options; environmental quality and resilience to hazards; social cohesion, equity, and cultural life; and governance, public services, and participation in decision making.

Measurement combines objective indicators—crime rates, air quality, housing costs, wait times for services, and infrastructure quality—with subjective indicators such as perceived safety, satisfaction, and overall well-being. Various organizations publish liveability- or quality-of-life metrics and rankings at city, regional, or national levels, employing different weighting and aggregation methods. Data limitations and cultural norms can complicate comparisons.

Applications include informing policy, prioritizing investments, and guiding relocation or business decisions. Critics note that liveability is partly subjective and culturally specific, and that index designs can privilege certain outcomes over others or be hampered by data gaps.