WORKING PAPER NO. 11 QUALITY OF LIFE

INTRODUCTION

1. This paper is to study the concept of the Quality of Life (QOL) and examine its possible application in Hong Kong. This paper is prepared in response to the growing public concern on the subject as revealed in recent public consultations.

DEFINITION OF QOL

General Definition of QOL

2. QOL is normally taken to mean the general well-being of people and the quality of the environment in which they live. There is presently no general agreement on the definition of QOL. For some, it is concerned with personal well-being and satisfaction or happiness, while for others, it is concerned with living conditions of a place. In the research of QOL, one often distinguishes between "subjective" and "objective" QOL, and indicators are usually derived for QOL measurement.

Subjective QOL

3. Subjective QOL of life is about feeling good and being satisfied with things in general. The subjective QOL indicators used may include the individual's level of satisfaction with aspects to life such as health, wealth and family life. Examples of the indicators are satisfaction with marriage and family life, specific recreational pleasures and satisfaction with job and salary. Since these indicators are difficult to define and measure, they are excluded from most of the QOL evaluations.

Objective QOL

4. Objective QOL is about fulfilling the societal demands for material wealth, social status and physical well-being. Objective QOL can be further classified into hardware and software aspects. Hardware aspects refer to living conditions, living environment, infrastructure and public service provisions. Software aspects are those related to social, psychological and behavioral dimensions such as social order, safety, communications and so on.

5. QOL is different from standard of living which is a measure of the quantity and quality of goods and services available to people. It measures Gross Domestic Product (GDP) per capita, life expectancy, birth rate, mortality rate, fertility rate, number of doctors per capita, ownership of cars, TV sets and telephone, literacy level, GDP spent on education and health, newspapers circulation, living density, population per dwelling, etc. On the other hand, QOL is the product of the interplay among social, health, economic and environmental conditions which affect human and social development. Standard of living is considered to be one of the dimensions of QOL.

URBAN QOL

6. As QOL issues are quite wide in scope, many researches only focus on urban QOL. In fact, QOL has been linked with the concept of sustainability in most of the developed countries and the improvement of QOL has been identified as one of the main objectives in their sustainable development strategies. However, different countries and cities have different emphases on the aspects contributing to QOL. For example, developing countries may emphasize on economic growth, while developed countries on environmental quality. Generally speaking, aspects contributing to urban QOL can be broadly classified into economic, housing, environment, infrastructure, social and political issues.

Economic

7. Economic performance of a city is the most important factor influencing individual's perception of QOL, especially in developing countries. Generally speaking, a city with good economic performance will have a high level of standard of living, which is a necessary condition for good QOL. Indicators used to measure economic performance include GDP per capita, environment for doing business, unemployment rate, inflation, etc.

Housing and Living Environment

8. Housing and the living environment have for long been critical issues addressed by most of the QOL researches. Indicators used for measuring housing and living environment include housing affordability, level of congestion, quality of houses, provision of open space, community facilities and so on.

This subject paper is intended to be a research paper delving into different views and analyses from various sources. The views and analyses as contained in this paper are intended to stimulate public discussion and input to the planning process of the "HK2030 Study" and do not necessarily represent the views of the HKSARG.

Environment

9. Environmental issues have caught much attention in the past few decades. Apart from traditional indicators such as air, noise and water quality, new initiatives such as sustainable development have become the major concerns in many developed countries in recent years as a clean and sustainable environment is essential for the health and well-being of the people. The indicators used for environmental aspects are mainly related to air and water quality, noise, biodiversity, waste generation and energy consumption.

Infrastructure

10. Good infrastructure development is essential for good QOL. The infrastructure development includes public transportation system, road and rail networks, information and communications technologies, sewage system and so on.

Social

11. The social aspects are very diverse. They may relate to education, health, culture, recreation, safety, social welfare system and community participation.

Political

12. Although political system and institutional arrangements are determining factors influencing urban policies and thus the QOL of the general public, they are seldom included in most of the QOL researches as indicators are hardly defined. Political factors related to QOL may include level of freedom and level of participation in the policy-making process. Some cities have used voting rate as an indicator to measure citizen participation in election.

LAND USE PLANNING AND THE QOL CONCEPT

13. The concept of QOL lies close to the heart of town planning, given that the major purpose of town planning is to promote the well-being of the general public. Since QOL is a multi-disciplinary issue concerning many different aspects of Government policies and work, enhancement of the QOL requires a comprehensive and integrated approach. Annex A highlights how landuse planning can help achieve better quality of life in Hong Kong.

OVERSEAS EXPERIENCES - DEFINITIONS AND APPLICATIONS OF QOL

14. The most common way to measure QOL is to develop indicators. In fact, many cities have developed a set of indicators sets to measure and monitor QOL over time. Five examples have been studied and they are presented in Annex B. Although indicators have been developed in most cases, the number of indicators used varies and different aspects of QOL are covered. This can be explained by differences in history, ideology, culture and political system. In addition, cooperation among the government, community organizations and private sector in deriving and monitoring QOL indicators are also noted in some places such as Ontario, Canada.

APPLICATION OF QOL CONCEPT IN HONG KONG

15. In Hong Kong, similar to many most overseas examples, applying the QOL concept can be in the form of developing indicators for measuring and monitoring QOL over time. In the recently completed Study on Sustainable Development for the 21st Century (SUSDEV 21study), efforts were made to develop a set of indicators, which is shown in Annex C. However, its coverage is limited by the purposes for which the indicators are designed and used (e.g. in CASET for evaluation).

16. On the other hand, as revealed in the various public consultations conducted under SUSDEV 21, the community has high aspirations for a better quality of life for Hong Kong, which should be more than solely concentrating on economic growth. To this end, many suggestions for indicators were submitted to the Government. In the context of SUSDEV 21, we recommended that these suggestions should be further considered by the newly formed Sustainable Development Unit (SDU).

17. The SDU has recently advised that the Sustainable Development Council will be set up early next year. Amongst the matters to be considered, the Council will decide whether or not to develop the set of tracking indicators on sustainable development raised in the SUSDEV21 Study.

18. In the first stage of public consultation of the HK2030 Study which has just been completed, the issue of quality of life has been repeatedly raised. Comments were that we should place more emphasis on QOL issues, in particular on defining what they are, examining whether or not our policies are addressing the right issues, and tracking whether our QOL is being improved over time.

19. The earlier part of this paper is an attempt to address the more theoretical side of the concept, drawing reference from some

overseas experience. To operationalise the concept, we will attempt to compile a preliminary list of indicators relevant to the HK2030 Study. Initially, we see there should be some commonalities between the planning objectives, the evaluation criteria and possible indicators on quality of life.

PLANNING OBJECTIVES, EVALUATIVE CRITERIA & INDICATORS

20. Planning objectives, evaluative criteria and indicators for better quality of life are closely related. Planning objectives are the more fundamental principles for guiding the HK2030 Study. Seven principles have been formulated and put forward for discussion in the first stage public consultation. We have revised the Planning Objectives in the light of the comments received.

21. Evaluative criteria are the more detailed criteria that should be derived and developed from the Planning Objectives. We will in due course examine how these criteria should best be developed, with particular reference to whether any additional criteria are required in addition to the "Sustainability Indicators" covered by the CASET evaluation. The possible quality of life indicators can also be examined in this context.

REFERENCE

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Annex A : HOW LANDUSE PLANNING CAN HELP ACHIEVE BETTER QUALITY OF LIFE IN HONG KONG Annex B : OVERSEAS EXPERIENCES - INDICATORS FOR MONITORING QOL Annex C : THE FINAL SUSDEV 21 INDICATORS

PLANNING DEPARTMENT JANUARY 2002

ANNEX A : HOW LAND USE PLANNING CAN HELP ACHIEVE BETTER QUALITY OF LIFE IN HONG KONG

I. STRATEGIC LEVEL

a. We should aim at integrating the land use, transport and environmental dimensions in deriving the strategic planning framework through which the need for commuting can be reduced and the environmental impacts of developments minimised as far as possible.

b. We should work with concerned Bureaux and Departments to formulate guidelines to facilitate such matters as better urban design, conservation, landscaping, greening, preservation of heritage, etc.

II. LOCAL LEVEL

c. To create livable communities through effective urban design/townscape improvement measures. Qualities of desirable places to live may include sustaining identity, safety and convenience.

d. Formulate and implement urban renewal programs to improve the quality of the urban area. According to the characteristics and needs, we adopt different urban renewal approaches such as building redevelopment, building rehabilitation, revitalization and/or environmental upgrading.

e. Open spaces have always been an important part of a city to improve the QOL of the community. Similarly, community facilities such as school, hospitals, police stations, fire stations and community centres are essential for the well-being of the society. We should enhance the QOL by providing adequate open spaces and community facilities at appropriate locations.

f. Culture and recreation opportunities are also critical aspects of the QOL. Culture of an area can be enhanced by conserving area of special architectural or historical interest, and by designating new districts or renewal of old districts for arts-related activities.

g. Quality of the environment does not only affects people's perception of a place, but also health of the general public. We can contribute to conserving the environment through, for example, designating conservation area or buffer areas for areas with high ecological value and determining appropriate development that can be carried out in sensitive areas.

ANNEX B : OVERSEAS EXPERIENCES - INDICATORS FOR MONITORING QOL

A. The Dubai International Award for Best Practices to Improve the Living Environment - United Nations

The original call for Best Practices was launched during preparations for the Second United Nations Conference on Human Settlements (Habitat II) as a means of identifying what works in improving living conditions on a sustainable basis. An international conference on best practices was held in Dubai during 19-22 November 1995 and was attended by 914 participants from 94 countries. The Conference adopted the Dubai Declaration which was later acknowledged by the Habitat II Conference as well as the World Assembly of Cities and Local Authorities. At the same time, the Dubai Government, U.A.E., established the Dubai International Award for Best Practices to Improve the Living Environment.

Best Practices are outstanding contributions to improving the living environment. They are defined by the United Nations and the international community at large as successful initiatives which:

have a demonstrable and tangible impact on improving people's quality of life; are the result of effective partnerships between the public, private and civic sectors of society; are socially, culturally, economically and environmentally sustainable.

Best Practices are promoted and used by the United Nations and the international community as a means of:

Improving public policy based on what works; Raising awareness of decision-makers at all levels and of the public of potential solutions to common social, economic and environmental problems; Sharing and transferring knowledge, expertise and experience through networking and peer-to-peer learning.

Criteria for a Best Practice

The best practice should demonstrate a positive and tangible impact on improving the living environment of people in any of the following categories:

Criteria for a Best Practice - United NationsCategories Areas

Sustainable shelter and community development

Affordable housing, services and community facilities Access to land and finance Community-based planning and participation in decision making and resource allocation Extension of safe water supply and sanitation Inner-city core, neighborhood and settlement revival and rehabilitation Safe and healthy building materials and technologies

Sustainable urban and regional development

Job creation and eradication of poverty Reduction of pollution and improvement of environmental health Improved access to public transport and communication Improved waste collection, reuse and recycling; Greening of the city and effective use of public space Improved production and consumption cycles, including replacement/ reduction of non-renewable resources; Protection and conservation of natural resources and of the environment More efficient energy use and production Preservation of historically important sites Formulation and implementation of integrated and comprehensive urban development strategy

Sustainable, efficient, accountable and transparent settlements management

More effective and efficient administrative, management and information systems Gender equality and equity in decision-making, resource-allocation and program design and implementation

Table 1: Categories of best practice

B. Social Monitoring - Wellington City, New Zealand

Social monitoring in Wellington is an attempt to establish measurable indices of people's QOL and/or social well-being. The purposes of social monitoring are to help the government to:

review its strategic goals in light of new and updated information; develop views and contribute to any advocacy role it chooses to undertake; identify key issues that require more focused needs for assessment and resourcing.

Currently, the exercise attempts to capture the quantitative aspects that make up an individual's (or a group's) QOL, or social well-being. Indicators have been selectively developed to reflect the following:

i. Health and Safety (good health and long life free from the fear of crime, unintended injury of illness caused by environmental degradation);

ii. Availability of key goods and services which are essential to people's QOL. e.g. income, income support benefits & pensions;

iii. Use of key goods and services (the way in which and the extent to which people access goods and services fundamental

Crime reduction and prevention Improved disaster preparedness, mitigation and reconstruction Social integration and reduction of exclusion Leadership in inspiring action and change, including change in public policy Promotion of accountability and transparency Promotion of social equality and equity Improvement of inter-agency co-ordination

Partnership Best Practices should be based on partnerships among at least two, or possibly more, of the actors from public, private and civic sectors of society

Sustainability Best practices should also demonstrate their tangible impact in bringing about lasting changes in at least one of the areas listed below:

Legislation, regulatory frameworks, by-laws or standards, providing formal recognition of the issues and problems that have been addressed Social policies and/or sectoral strategies at the (sub) national level that have a potential for replication elsewhere Institutional frameworks and decision-making processes that assign clear roles and responsibilities to various levels and groups of actors, such as central and local governmental organizations and community-based organizations Efficient, transparent and accountable management systems that make more effective use of human, technical, financial and natural resources

Leadership & community empowerment

Leadership in inspiring action and change, including change in public policy Empowerment of people, neighbourhoods and communities and incorporation of their contributions Acceptance of and responsiveness to social and cultural diversity Potential for transferability, adaptability and replicability Appropriateness to local conditions and levels of developments

Gender and social inclusion Initiatives which accept and respond to social and cultural diversity; promote social equality and equity, for example on the basis of income, gender, age and physical/mental condition; and recognize and value different abilities

to social well-being); iv. Participation in social and public affairs (the active inclusion of the population in social networks and public affairs).

The key indicators used in social monitoring are shown in Table 2:

Key Indicators for Social Monitoring - WellingtonAreas Indicators

City Profile Population Ethnicity Age Structure Population Projections

Crime and Safety Crime Rate Road Safety Number of Road Crash

Number of Road Casualties Use of seat belts and child restraints Cycle helmet use

Health Hospitalisation Rates Mortality Rate Major causes of death Number of Disabled People Use of Health Benefits

Incidence of Injuries

Occupational Safety Safety in Sport & Recreation

Income Income Income Support Benefits & Pensions Duration receiving payments Applications for Income Support payments

Employment Employment by Sector - full time Employment by Sector - Part Time Change in part time work Employment by Business Type Labour Force Participation Rate Unemployment Registered Unemployed Unemployment Benefit Number of Jobless

Business Businesses Units by sector Business Types Business Turnover

Education Education Services Enrolments Schools by socio-economic status Participation in Early Childhood Education Highest attainment of school leavers Tertiary Qualifications Gained

Housing Market Rentals New Housing Crowding Index Housing affordability Accommodation Supplement

Recreation and Leisure

Recreation Facilities Participation in Leisure Activities Participation in Sport

Table 2: Key Indicators for Social Monitoring - Wellington

A QOL Report, which records how these indices change over time, is produced annually for the exercise. In order to capture the subjective information and identify peoples' common opinions and experiences about QOL, the Wellington Government is planning to develop a qualitative study which could complement the current monitoring by providing the background behind the statistics.

C. Quality of Life Index - Ontario

Ontario has developed a QOL Index (QLI) to measure and monitor the living and working conditions which affect the QOL in the communities. QOL in Ontario is defined as:

"The product of the interplay among social, health, economic and environmental conditions which affect human and social development."

The QOL Index (QLI) is a community development strategy to monitor the living and working conditions of Ontario. There are twenty community partners across Ontario involved in the QLI project, using the QOL Index to measure changes in their local communities. QLI is a composite index which includes twelve indicators, three from each of four sectors - social, health, economic and environment. It can be used to comment frequently on key issues that affect people and contribute to the public debate about how to improve the QOL in the communities and province. Criteria for selecting indicators are:

relevant to the QOL;

data collected and available;

reliability of data source;

data is sensitive to changes over time.

The indicators included in the QLI are shown in Table 3:

Transportation Use of Public Transport Commuting into the city Supply of Public Transport

Participation in Elections

Number of Candidates, Voting Rate and Voting Pattern in:

Local Body Elections Regional Council Elections General Elections School Boards of Trustees

Community Participation

Voluntary Work Voluntary Organizations

Indicators for QLI - OntarioAreas Indicators

Social Children in care of Children's Aid Societies Social assistance recipients Public housing waiting lists

Health Low birth weight babies Elderly waiting for placement in long term care facilities New cancer cases

Economic Number of people unemployed Number of people working Bankruptcies

Table 3: Indicators for QLI - Ontario

D. QOL Benchmark Project-Pierce County, Washington

The purpose of the Pierce County QOL Benchmark Project is to gather and publish information about the well-being of the community as a whole. Pierce County's benchmarking effort uses information gathered from a variety of sources to track changes in different aspects of residents' lives. The benchmarking process intended to be used to make very generalized statements about whether life in the County is getting better, worse, or staying the same. By measuring past trends and current conditions, it helps to shape future public policy in an informed and holistic way.

A QOL Index consisting of 80 indicators is developed to measure the well-being of the society. These 80 indicators are further grouped into 9 separate areas of concern, referred to as "goal categories." The goal categories and the indicators in each category is shown in Table 4:

Environment Hours of moderate/poor air quality Toxic spills Blue box recycling

Indicators for Quality of Life Index-Pierce CountyGoal Categories Areas

Affordable Housing Housing Price

Median family income as percent of median single-family house price Median family income as a percent of annual single-family house mortgage payment Percent of households able to afford buying median single-family home

Rentals

Median family income as a percent of average rent on two bedroom apartment

Property Taxes

Median family income as percent of average property tax on single-family house sold

Availability

Average annual multi-family vacancy rate Number of subsidized housing units per person

Clean Environment Clean Air

Percent of days per year rated as having good air Manufacturing jobs per pound of toxic chemicals released into air

Clean Water

Manufacturing jobs per pound of toxic chemicals released into water

Energy Consumption

Households per residential MWH consumed

Total employment per industrial/commercial MWH consumed

Waste Generation

Households per pound of solid waste disposed (not recycled)

Cost Effective Infrastructure Waste Water

Gallons of waste processed as a percent of permitted capacity Inverse of real household monthly service charge for waste water treatment Inverse of real household connect charge for waste water treatment

Solid Waste

Persons per pound of solid waste generated per day Percentage of solid waste recycled Average monthly residential solid waste charge

Cultural & Recreational Opportunities

Culture

Public library items circulated per person Average number of cultural & recreational events scheduled per week Attendance at Tacoma Art Museum per person in city

Recreation

Registered attendance at major Tacoma Metropolitan Park District (MPD) facilities Acres per person of park lands Attendance at Mt. Rainier per mile of trail Community centers per person Attendance at Puyallup Fair per person in county

Educational Excellence Assessment

Percent of districts with 4th grade mean test scores equal/above state average Percent of districts with 11th grade mean test scores equal/above state average

High School Completion

Percent of high school seniors graduating Percent of districts with graduation rates above state average Percent of high-school students completing 4 years Percent of school districts with lower dropout rates than state average

Post Secondary Education

Degrees awarded from County universities and community colleges Persons attending college or technical school as a percent of persons age 20-24 years

Effective Regional Transportation System

Road Congestion

Miles of state road in rural County per vehicle mile travelled in rural County Miles of road in Tacoma per vehicle mile travelled in Tacoma Number of persons per passenger car

Cargo

Containers transported through Port of Tacoma (TEU's)

Public Transit

Number of transit-rider trips per capita Inflation adjusted transit revenues Average transit-trips per hour per bus Inflation adjusted cost per transit-rider trip

Healthy Economy Number of Jobs

Total wage & salary jobs Number of wage & salary jobs per household

Type of Jobs

Professional, technical, and managerial jobs as a percent of total jobs Manufacturing wage and salary jobs as a percent of total jobs Number of basic industry jobs Percent of wage & salary jobs not in 5 most concentrated industries Total wage & salary jobs in County per employed residents

Wages & Income

Average earnings per job Per capita income as a percentage of state average Percent of average earnings needed to support basic needs Manufacturing wage & salary earnings as a percent of total wage & salary income

Business

Number of business establishments Value of business personal property per worker Value of industrial and commercial property Retail sales as a percent of personal income Inflation adjusted assessed value of real estate per person

Health and Safety for Persons & Property

Crime

Persons per violent-index crime (murder, negligent manslaughter, forcible rape, robbery, aggravated assault) Persons per non-violent-index crime (burglary, theft, auto-theft, arson, non-aggravated assault)

Table 4: Indicators for Quality of Life Index-Pierce County

Percent of crimes cleared

Traffic Accidents

Persons per traffic accident death Persons per traffic accident injury

Fire

Persons per fire call Inverse of average fire call response time (minutes)

Personal Emergencies

Persons per emergency call Inverse of average emergency rescue call response time (minutes) Persons per accidental (non-traffic) death

County Health

Inverse of County infant (under 1 yr.) deaths per 1000 live births Inverse of County cancer deaths per 1000 persons (age 45-74) Inverse of County heart disease deaths per 1000 persons (age 45-74) Inverse of County accident deaths per 1000 persons (under 45)

County Health Relative to State

Inverse of County infant (under 1 yr.) death rate relative to state Inverse of County cancer death rate relative to state Inverse of County heart disease death rate relative to state Inverse of County accident death rate relative to state

Proper Distribution of Land Residential Land Use

New housing units relative to new households Share of new housing units going into urban parts of county New multifamily units as percent of total new residential units

ANNEX C : THE FINAL SUSDEV 21 INDICATORS

Economy

Economic return as determined through costs benefit analysis. Percentage change in income less income tax for the upper quartile household minus the percentage change in income less income tax for the lower quartile. Gross domestic fixed capital formation as a percentage of GDP. Expenditure on primary, tertiary and secondary education as a ratio to GDP.

Health and Hygiene

In patient discharges and deaths per 100,000 population due to diseases of the respiratory system.

Natural Resources

Consumption of energy per unit of output ($GDP). Quantity of municipal solid waste, public fill and C&D waste requiring final disposal per capita. The total remaining landfill capacity (by volume). Volume of freshwater supplied per capita. Percentage of demand met by locally-derived freshwater resources. Area of countryside.

Society and Social Infrastructure

Average length of waiting list for public rental housing. Median rent to income ratio for private housing. Percentage of households residing in inadequate housing. Living space per person. Waiting lists for Residential Care Homes for the Elderly. Number of student members of civic education and community services organisations. Percentage of students receiving a passing grade or above in the Chinese and English languages in HKCEE.

Biodiversity

Area of Hong Kong of high terrestrial ecological value. Area of Hong Kong of high marine ecological value. Area of managed terrestrial habitat for conservation. Area of managed marine habitat for conservation.

Leisure and Cultural Vibrancy

Number of recorded archaeological sites. Number of recorded cultural and historical sites. Percentage of population living within districts with a shortfall of required provision of open space. Annual ticket sales for major cultural, entertainment and sporting events.

Environmental Quality

Composite index for Criteria Air Pollutants based on percentage of the Air Quality Objectives. Composite index for Toxic Air Pollutants based on percentage of Acceptable Risk. Quantity (Tonnes) of carbon dioxide emitted per year (or per capita per year). Percentage of population exposed to excessive noise. Number of kilometers of river ranked "Excellent" or "Good" using the EPD River Water Quality Index. Composite index of marine water quality pollutants based on percentage of the Water Quality Objectives. Number of beach-days per year ranked "Good" of "Fair".

Mobility

Average Travel Distances; the unit of such a measure is passenger distance travelled, ie the distance in kilometres travelled by passengers during morning peak by all major groups of transport modes. Average Network Speed; ie the average network speed of travel across all major groups of transport modes both public and private and which reflects the proportion of passenger use (calculated as total passenger kilometres divided by total passenger hours). The cost of road-based freight transport; the cost of charges and operating costs as a ratio of GDP.