Defining Quality of Life: From 2006 to 2014
Defining Quality of Life
Quality of life can mean many things to different people. One of the challenges in planning for
quality of life improvements is determining how to correctly and efficiently measure the current
quality of life status and changes over time. Many academics and planners maintain that in order
for a community to enjoy a high level of quality of life, residents should feel safe from crime,
live in affordable and safe housing, and should have access to good quality education and
employment. Indeed, these are basic expectations for a livable community. They transcend
economic status, age, race, ethnicity, household
composition or any other demographic marker.
Beyond these basic factors, there are additional
values, often framed by local or regional context
and culture, about what makes a neighborhood a
good place to live. These ideas often revolve
around the structure of a neighborhood or the
lifestyle of the residents. Urban, suburban or
rural settings may translate into different scales
or different ideas about what constitutes quality
of life.
2006 NQL Study Framework
The quality of life framework used in the 2006 NQL Study is multi-faceted and complex. It
organizes 23 analytical variables into four quality of life dimensions: social well-being, physical
community design or layout, crime and economic vitality. Quality of life variables were selected
based on factors that were identified as important by Chesapeake residents.
These variables were analyzed at the neighborhood scale using geographic areas called
Neighborhood Statistical Areas (NSAs). The results of the analysis were used to group
neighborhoods into the following three categories:
•
Developing
: These are NSAs that have concentrations of newer housing stock and higher
rates of home ownership. They are, however, less well provided with infrastructure. They
have significant youthful populations, but fewer youth-oriented services. The community
development challenges facing these neighborhoods are centered on infrastructure
provision issues.
•
Sustaining
: These NSAs are mature communities, generally well served with
infrastructure and community resources. Their populations are evenly balanced across the
age spectrum. The potential service and infrastructure difficulties facing these
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