Quality


“Quality” brings up a host of personal associations which can rarely be measured. ‘High’ and ‘low’ applied to “quality” express an experience rather than a measurement. In neighbourhood design, however, the difficulty of defining and measuring quality is overcome through revealed and expressed preferences of residents.
These preferences are revealed through analysis of statistical data on purchaser choices, premiums paid, and through statements in surveys or personal interviews. For example, proximity to nature consistently commands premiums for the same house product (see references). This readiness to pay more expresses perceived value or “quality” or “utility” in this attribute. Though the basis for this perception may be hard to understand, its expression is easy to measure by the increase in actual value and by the proportion of people willing to pay.

The list of attributes
How many attributes can be attached to the “quality” of neighbourhoods?
In a comprehensive study of suburban and exurban residents the following items topped the list of reasons for moving to these locations. Exurbanites ranked five as most important in this order:
  • Attractive Natural Environment
  • Rural environment
  • Clean air
  • Privacy
  • Nearby open space
These 5 items showed up 65% to 85% of the time while the next highest item on the list, clean water and good schools got 34% to 32% of the respondents priority; a big gap in the importance scale.

When the reasons of both exurbanites and suburbanites are summed up four of these five items show up again distinctly at the top, in slightly different order:
  • Rural environment
  • Privacy
  • Attractive Natural Environment
  • Nearby open space
“Clean air” follows these immediately but with a gap and the next (6th) highest reason, lack of crime, is well bellow the top four and substantially below clean air.

A large body of research now shows conclusively that these consistent preferences may have a strong foundation in health and wellbeing. It is then easy to see why these attributes may register in one’s mind as pleasant, delightful experiences. People are drawn to what is innately understood as beneficial.
The same is true about quiet that also appears regularly on lists of preferences for places to live in. Noise has been linked to symptoms of stress and related physiological dysfunctions. Its absence, often described as tranquility or peace, is perceived as a valued quality attribute.

As city district regions expand, nature becomes further removed from many urban settings. People then continue to move outward to attain proximity in an endless Sisyphean pursuit. To break the cycle, plans should include nature as a regular, recurring component.

A neighbourhood and district layout that incorporates these attributes would be perceived as a “quality” environment. The Fused Grid model uses open space as a structural element in configuring neighbourhoods to accomplish multiple objectives: connectivity, for pedestrians, lower traffic, pleasant views and safe streets.

If quality of life in a neighbourhood is perceived as health, safety and delight, this new synthesis of inherited street patterns creates neighbourhoods that provide it.