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Do We Live Where It Is Pleasant? Correlates of Perceived Pleasantness with Socioeconomic Variables

Author

Listed:
  • João Monteiro

    (Research Center for Territory, Transports and Environment (CITTA), 4200-465 Porto, Portugal)

  • Ana Clara Carrilho

    (Department of Transportation and Geotechnical Engineering, Federal University of Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte 31270-901, Brazil)

  • Nuno Sousa

    (Institute for Systems Engineering and Computers of Coimbra (INESCC), 3030-290 Coimbra, Portugal
    Department of Sciences and Technology, Universidade Aberta, 1250-100 Lisbon, Portugal)

  • Leise Kelli de Oliveira

    (Department of Transportation and Geotechnical Engineering, Federal University of Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte 31270-901, Brazil)

  • Eduardo Natividade-Jesus

    (Institute for Systems Engineering and Computers of Coimbra (INESCC), 3030-290 Coimbra, Portugal
    Department of Civil Engineering, Polytechnic Institute of Coimbra, 3045-093 Coimbra, Portugal)

  • João Coutinho-Rodrigues

    (Institute for Systems Engineering and Computers of Coimbra (INESCC), 3030-290 Coimbra, Portugal
    Department of Civil Engineering, University of Coimbra, 3004-531 Coimbra, Portugal)

Abstract

Living in urban areas is the wish of many people. However, with population growth in those areas, quality of life has become a concerning element for achieving sustainable cities. Because quality of life is influenced by the built environment, the state of the latter is a fundamental issue for public policies. This research expands on previous research on the perceived pleasantness of built environments by presenting a large-scale case study of the urban layout pleasantness in the central area of Belo Horizonte, Brazil, a typical global south city, and correlating pleasantness scores with socioeconomic factors to understand whether people do in fact live where the urban layout is more pleasant and how pleasantness and socioeconomic factors relate and contribute to one’s choice of living location. A comparison with the city of Coimbra, Portugal, representative of the global north, was also carried out. The findings showed that pleasantness tended to correlate negatively with urban density and positively with income. Possible explanations for these results and their generality are advanced.

Suggested Citation

  • João Monteiro & Ana Clara Carrilho & Nuno Sousa & Leise Kelli de Oliveira & Eduardo Natividade-Jesus & João Coutinho-Rodrigues, 2023. "Do We Live Where It Is Pleasant? Correlates of Perceived Pleasantness with Socioeconomic Variables," Land, MDPI, vol. 12(4), pages 1-20, April.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jlands:v:12:y:2023:i:4:p:878-:d:1122372
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    Cited by:

    1. João Monteiro & Nuno Sousa & João Coutinho-Rodrigues & Eduardo Natividade-Jesus, 2024. "Challenges Ahead for Sustainable Cities: An Urban Form and Transport System Review," Energies, MDPI, vol. 17(2), pages 1-26, January.

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