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Social and cultural well-being
Factors that influence the quality of life are:
Living in a city or town is not just about work and home. Recreation
and leisure are important parts of a healthy lifestyle. As well as maintaining
the infrastructure and ensuring the safety of our community environment,
councils also support and provide recreation, sport and culture in the
local community.
The social environment in our communities makes up a large part of our well-being.
A town may be a case-study for perfect compliance with building regulations,
but if the facilities are not there to promote the social and cultural well-being
of the community, then it will not thrive.
Libraries, streetscapes, gardens and public buildings help store and present the local culture, and along with parks, pools, play and sports grounds they help people gain access to recreation. This is especially crucial for those who might not be able to afford access to these services if they were privately owned and operated.
Being part of a social group or network has positive outcomes for both the individual and society. It facilitates participation in society, encourages a sense of belonging and ensures stable communities. It is all part of providing a healthy and balanced environment for the local community that encourages social connectedness and enables the community to grow and thrive.
Good quality of life … but
The Big Cities project measures the quality of life in New Zealand’s eight largest cities: North Shore, Waitakere, Auckland, Manukau, Hamilton, Wellington, Christchurch and Dunedin. The project’s Quality of Life 2003 report presents a picture of the quality of life in the largest metropolitan centres that are home to just under half the New Zealand population.
The vast majority of respondents said that their overall quality of life was either good or extremely good (89 percent). Only one percent rated their quality of life as poor.
Factors that influence the quality of life are:
Age: Residents aged 65 years and over were more likely to rate their quality of life as extremely good (35 percent) in comparison to other age groups. Councils help fund and support a wide range of activities for their older residents.
Income: On average across all cities, lower-income households were far less likely to rate their quality of life positively, while higher-income households ($70,000 and over) were significantly more likely to do so. Providing free or low-cost recreational and sporting facilities is both a valuable service to the community and also helps even out the effects of the income gap, particularly for children and young people.
Diversity: Survey respondents were asked for their views on how the increase in the numbers of people with different lifestyles and from a variety of countries impacted on their city. Across all eight cities, an average of 60 percent of survey respondents stated that increased diversity made the city a better or much better place to live.
Loneliness: On average, 80 percent of survey respondents stated that they ‘hardly ever’ or ‘never’ felt lonely or isolated in the last 12 months. There was a correlation between income levels and feelings of isolation. People in households earning less than $20,000 per annum were more likely to feel lonely and isolated, compared with those earning $40,000 or more. Again, the provision of high-quality low-cost community recreation and sport facilities can help improve quality of life.
