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The Quality of Life in Dhaka, Bangladesh: Neighborhood Quality as a Major Component of Residential Satisfaction

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Investigating Quality of Urban Life

Part of the book series: Social Indicators Research Series ((SINS,volume 45))

Abstract

Quality of life and the quality of the urban environment throughout the world are issues of concern for researchers as well as planners, policy makers, and urban residents. The chapter explores the quality of life (QOL) in six major residential areas in Dhaka, Bangladesh, as part of a citywide research program examining residential environments. How people assess their lives and life experiences and, in particular, their satisfactions with housing and neighborhoods are examined. Findings indicate the importance of the holistic socio-physical neighborhood as a major contributor to residential satisfaction in medium-rise and high-rise housing in Dhaka. Other findings revealed that specific socio-physical features of the neighborhood and community influence overall life satisfaction more than physical design features of dwellings.

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Notes

  1. 1.

    Presentation of the new model of residential satisfaction goes beyond the scope of this chapter and will be presented by the authors in a subsequent paper.

  2. 2.

    The full “Residential Satisfaction in Dhaka Questionnaire” is available on request from the first author.

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Acknowledgements

This chapter reports on the part of the research from an unpublished PhD thesis submitted by the first author under the supervision of the second author to the University of Sydney, 2010. The research was supported by Endeavour International Postgraduate Research Scholarship to the first author. Acknowledgement is extended also to members of the Environment, Behaviour and Society Research Group for critical feedback, to five research assistants in Dhaka, and to the residents of Dhaka who participated as respondents in this research.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Urban Research Centre, University of Western Sydney, 34 Charles Street, Parramatta, NSW, Australia

    Abul Mukim Mozammel Haque Mridha

  2. Faculty of Architecture, Design and Planning, The University of Sydney, 148 City Road, Sydney, NSW, Australia

    Gary T. Moore

Authors
  1. Abul Mukim Mozammel Haque Mridha
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  2. Gary T. Moore
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Correspondence to Abul Mukim Mozammel Haque Mridha .

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Editors and Affiliations

  1. Inst. Social Research, University of Michigan, Thompson St. 426, Ann Arbor, 48106-1248, Michigan, USA

    Robert W. Marans

  2. Network (AURIN), University of Melbourne, Architecture Building and Planning, Australian Urban Research Infrastructure, Melbourne, 3010, Victoria, Australia

    Robert J. Stimson

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Mridha, A.M.M.H., Moore, G.T. (2011). The Quality of Life in Dhaka, Bangladesh: Neighborhood Quality as a Major Component of Residential Satisfaction. In: Marans, R., Stimson, R. (eds) Investigating Quality of Urban Life. Social Indicators Research Series, vol 45. Springer, Dordrecht. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-007-1742-8_11

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