A composite index of quality of life for the Gauteng city-region: a principal component analysis approach PDF Download

Author: Talita Greyling
Publisher: Gauteng City Region Observatory (GCRO)
ISBN: 0620590157
Category : Language Arts & Disciplines
Languages : en
Pages : 54

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Book Description
The improvement of the quality of life of all South Africans is high on the agenda at national (The National Planning Commission, 2012) and regional levels of government (The Gauteng Planning Commission, 2012) and it is therefore important to develop an instrument that can measure this multi-dimensional concept. The need therefore exists for a composite index of quality of life with the ability to both track the quality of life of people over time and compare it across different demographic and socio-economic groups. Such a measure could identify those demographic and socio-economic groups with low levels of quality of life and also highlight dimensions that need to be prioritised in order to improve the wellbeing of people. In South Africa there are a limited number of quality of life indices and measures of wellbeing. Indices that measure wellbeing nationally include: the Quality of Life Index of Moller and Schlemmer (1983), the Living Standard Measure (LSM) Index produced by the South African Audience Research Foundation (SAARF) (2013), the South African Development Index of the South African Institute of Race Relations (2011), and the Everyday Quality of Life Index (Higgs, 2007). The following indices measure wellbeing at a regional level: the Quality of Metropolitan City Life in South Africa Index (Naude, et al., 2009), the Non-Economic Quality of Life Index at Sub-National Levels (Rossouw & Naude, 2008) and the Quality of Life Index of the Gauteng City-Region Observatory (GCRO, 2011). Although these quality of life indices make distinctive contributions to the study field, the focus of these studies is often to measure only objective or subjective quality of life or only economic or non-economic quality of life, rather than all of the above. Furthermore, many of the indices use equal weighting, which does not necessarily reflect the priorities of the communities.

Author: Benjamin L. Saitluanga
Publisher: Springer
ISBN: 3319537806
Category : Science
Languages : en
Pages : 143

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Book Description
The book is a study of intra-urban inequality in quality of life (QOL) in Aizawl city. The main objectives of the study include analysis of processes and patterns of social differentiation along the three-dimensional space of Aizawl city as well as analysis of spatial inequality in QOL at the lowest administrative structure of the city. An investigation into spatial pattern of residential differentiation was done at both horizontal and vertical spaces. Spatial variation in well-being of residents of Aizawl city and the quality of their immediate environment was also studied by taking both objective and subjective indicators. The study employed a number of descriptive, inferential and multivariate statistical techniques including correlation, factor analysis, principal component analysis, cluster analysis and spatial autocorrelation methods like Moran’s I and Local Indicators of Spatial Association (LISA). Mapping techniques and graphical methods like Choropleth map, histogram and line graph were also used. With the help of factor analysis, the social space of Aizawl city was found to be differentiated along socio-economic status, family status, household size status, workers status and ethnic status. The most important factor determining residential differentiation was socio-economic status. Choropleth map of factor scores reveals that the inner city localities were dominated by high socio-economic class while poorer people dominated the peripheries. Non-local ethnic minorities were few but concentrated in some adjoining peripheral localities as well as in inner city localities which have been inhabited by their ancestors since the colonial period. Vertical pattern of residential differentiation was also analyzed by taking income variable as a proxy of socio-economic status. Multi-storey buildings in Aizawl city were co-inhabited by both richer people and poorer people. The richer people were found at the top floors while the poorer people occupied the basement floors. Normally, the owners of the buildings were found at the top floors while the basement floors were dominated by the renters. Spatial variation in QOL was measured with the help of principal component analysis as a weighting technique by taking variables pertaining to both objective and subjective QOL dimensions. The values of composite QOL index showed that the central localities have scored better than their peripheral counterparts. Correlation analysis of the relationship between objective indicators and subjective indicators provided a low positive value indicating the absence of relationship between the two dimensions of quality of life. Spatial autocorrelation analysis was also performed to see the pattern of clustering of spatially weighted QOL variables across Local Councils. With the help of Global Moran’s I, spatial clusters and spatial outliers were observed for objective dimension of QOL within the study area. The value of Moran’s I was found to be insignificant for subjective QOL dimension indicating the absence of significant pattern of clustering. The study also identified 7 social areas of Aizawl city on the basis of factor scores and composite scores of QOL variables calculated for all Local Councils. The identification of clusters was taken out with the help of hierarchical clustering method of cluster analysis. These clusters were labeled appropriate names and their characteristics were described in detail. The thesis concluded with recommendation of designating these social areas as ‘social development planning zones’ for obtaining inclusive development.

Author: Donato Impedovo
Publisher: MDPI
ISBN: 3039364375
Category : Technology & Engineering
Languages : en
Pages : 374

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Book Description
Smart cities operate under more resource-efficient management and economy than ordinary cities. As such, advanced business models have emerged around smart cities, which led to the creation of smart enterprises and organizations that depend on advanced technologies. This book includes 21 selected and peer-reviewed articles contributed in the wide spectrum of artificial intelligence applications to smart cities. Chapters refer to the following areas of interest: vehicular traffic prediction, social big data analysis, smart city management, driving and routing, localization, safety, health, and life quality.

Author: Vijay Kumar Thakur
Publisher: MDPI
ISBN: 3039433709
Category : Technology & Engineering
Languages : en
Pages : 374

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Book Description
This highly informative and carefully presented book covers the most recent advances as well as comprehensive reviews addressing novel and state-of-the-art topics from active researchers in innovative advanced materials and hybrid materials, concerning not only their synthesis, preparation, and characterization but especially focusing on the applications of such materials with outstanding performance.

Author: Maigul Nugmanova
Publisher: BoD – Books on Demand
ISBN: 1839690410
Category : Business & Economics
Languages : en
Pages : 321

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Book Description
The aim of sustainable development is to balance our economic, environmental and social needs, allowing prosperity for current and future generations. Countries must be allowed to meet their basic needs of employment, food, energy, water and sanitation. There is a clear relationship between the three topics of the book: right to education has been recognized as a human right - education has a role in peace-building. Additionally, education, human rights and peace have a significant role in sustainable development. The United Nations have defined a broad range of internationally accepted rights, including civil, cultural, economic, political and social rights. However, this book demonstrates that there are still people and nations not respecting the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. Chapters from Brazil, Cameroon, Ethiopia, Kazakhstan, Israel, Peru, Russia and South-Africa cover topics like civil war, human abuses, the vulnerability of indigenous people, abortion, epilepsy, food security, lack of health equities in maternal and child health, and democracy or lack of it. We sincerely hope that this book will contribute to the joint pursuit of humanity to make the world better after we all get over the coronavirus pandemic.

Author: Daniel Slottje
Publisher: Routledge
ISBN: 0429699166
Category : Social Science
Languages : en
Pages : 290

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Book Description
This book discusses the methods used to create quality of the life indexes. It suggests that economic liberty gives a considerably different view of the quality of life and provides a synthesis by combining the life attributes, both physical and environmental into a final set of world rankings.

Author: Ron Martin
Publisher: Routledge
ISBN: 1136012540
Category : Business & Economics
Languages : en
Pages : 178

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Book Description
There is now a wide spread interest in regions as a key focus in the organization and governance of economic growth and wealth creation. This important book considers the factors that influence and shape the competitive performance of regions. This is not just an issue of academic interest and debate, but also of increasing policy deliberation and action. However, as the readings in this book make clear, the very idea of regional competitiveness is itself complex and contentious. Many academics and policy makers have used the concept without fully considering what is meant by the term and how it can be measured. Policy formulation has tended to rush ahead of understanding and analysis, and the purpose of this book is to close this important gap in understanding. This book was previously published as a special issue of Regional Studies.

Author: Hiroaki Suzuki
Publisher: World Bank Publications
ISBN: 082138144X
Category : Political Science
Languages : en
Pages : 392

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Book Description
This book is a point of departure for cities that would like to reap the many benefits of ecological and economic sustainability. It provides an analytical and operational framework that offers strategic guidance to cities on sustainable and integrated urban development.

Author: Piers Blaikie
Publisher: Routledge
ISBN: 1134528612
Category : Science
Languages : en
Pages : 492

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Book Description
The term 'natural disaster' is often used to refer to natural events such as earthquakes, hurricanes or floods. However, the phrase 'natural disaster' suggests an uncritical acceptance of a deeply engrained ideological and cultural myth. At Risk questions this myth and argues that extreme natural events are not disasters until a vulnerable group of people is exposed. The updated new edition confronts a further ten years of ever more expensive and deadly disasters and discusses disaster not as an aberration, but as a signal failure of mainstream 'development'. Two analytical models are provided as tools for understanding vulnerability. One links remote and distant 'root causes' to 'unsafe conditions' in a 'progression of vulnerability'. The other uses the concepts of 'access' and 'livelihood' to understand why some households are more vulnerable than others. Examining key natural events and incorporating strategies to create a safer world, this revised edition is an important resource for those involved in the fields of environment and development studies.

Author: Rod Burgess
Publisher: Routledge
ISBN: 1135803897
Category : Architecture
Languages : en
Pages : 369

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Book Description
This collection of edited papers forms part of the Compact City Series, creating a companion volume to The Compact City (1996) and Achieving Sustainable Urban Form (2000) and extends the debate to developing countries. This book examines and evaluates the merits and defects of compact city approaches in the context of developing countries in Africa, Asia and Latin America. Issues of theory, policy and practice relating to sustainability of urban form are examined by a wide range of international academics and practitioners.