okolité

okolité is a term used in some strands of environmental studies to denote the perceived quality of the immediate surrounding environment. The neologism blends a Slavic root meaning around with the French suffix -ité to express quality and is used in discussions of how people experience places in everyday life.

It encompasses objective environmental conditions such as air and noise pollution, access to green space, shelter, and lighting, together with subjective aspects like safety, comfort, aesthetic value, and sense of belonging.

Researchers may combine sensor data with surveys to produce a composite okolité index, typically scaled from 0 to 100. Applications include urban planning, neighborhood regeneration, and policy evaluation, where okolité serves as a complement to more formal quality-of-life indicators.

As a relatively new and not standardized concept, okolité is used variably across studies and regions. Critics caution that the measure risks cultural bias and over-quantification of lived experience. Proponents argue it helps translate environmental attributes into user-centered planning targets.

See also quality of life, environmental quality, urban design.