Social Elements

Environmental dimensions can be used as indicators of urban quality of life due to their potential contribution to subjective well-being. The environment is constituted by the interacting systems of physical, biological, and social elements interrelated in various ways, individually and collectively. This study aims to uncover qualitatively whether these two environmental elements, namely social and physical factors, are indeed predictors of subjective well-being and reliable indicators of quality of life in cities. The study presents and tests a model that examines a matrix of cross-effects between social and physical indicators with subjective well-being. Data are obtained through an expert survey in the city of Tehran. In this approach, a group of urban planners undertakes the effect of social and physical components on subjective well-being. First, the existing literature is studied, and the related components are identified. Then, some interviews are made, and the cross-section analysis effects are extracted in a cross-effect matrix. As the finding revealed, among physical factors, percapita and spatial justice can have the highest impact on subjective well-being in Tehran. This was followed by access to urban transportation networks depending on their type, quality, and amount. Also, commute, neighborhood, housing, and job satisfaction were predictors of subjective well-being. Among social factors, spending leisure time, continuous social interactions, and health status impact subjective well-being.