Residents' perception of quality of life : the case study of Birkirkara, Malta

Abstract

Quality of life is a concept which people tend to perceive differently depending on their life's condition/s. In this study, an attempt was made to outline any differences between quality of life in the urban core and residential schemes. The research deals with an evaluation of the perception of quality of life from the point of view of a number of indicators related to this concept - these were aesthetic appearance, public safety, recreational facilities, services, community participation and a particular emphasis was given to accessibility. An overview of existing studies on quality of life was given in the first part of this study, focusing on the relation of quality of life to urban areas, accessibility and land use. In order to achieve an understanding of the perception of quality of life in Birkirkara, a questionnaire was used as a research tool. The results of the face-to-face questionnaire identified the main concepts of quality of life in Birkirkara, and showed that there is a difference in the residents' perception on the indicators of quality of life. While aesthetic appearance, infrastructure and public safety are perceived as better in the residential schemes, recreational facilities and community participation are better in the town centre. Accessibility is perceived as quite good in Birkirara; however accessibility to different amenities differs between the Urban Conservation Area and the residential schemes. These findings will eventually help future research to come up with new measures and initiatives to improve quality of life.