What Makes Cities (and Buildings) Liveable?

I was reading the Australian Government’s discussion paper Our Cities and was intrigued by their identification of the things that make a city liveable.

They say that that “liveability” is “the way the urban environment supports the quality of life and wellbeing” including “mental and physical health, happiness and life satisfaction plus supportive social community relationships”. 

And according to the Australian Government the key factors for cities are –

• Balancing infill and green-field development
• Facilitating the supply of appropriate housing
• Supportive affordable living
• Improving transport options and reducing our dependence on private vehicles
• Improving the quality of the public domain
• Improving public health outcomes
• Redressing spatially concentrated social disadvantage

You can read more about these issues (and the Government’s approach to them) in the discussion paper.

On a different dimension the Economist Intelligence Unit runs the world cities Liveability Index every year and ranks cities on 30 qualitative and quantitative factors across five broad categories –

• stability
• healthcare
• culture and environment
• education
• infrastructure

Each factor in a city is rated as acceptable, tolerable, uncomfortable, undesirable or intolerable. 

You can read more about these factors in their summary report.

But what are the factors that make a strata building liveable?  Are they the same, similar or different?  And, if not the same should they reflect the same themes?

I’m not sure but am certainly ready to start a debate.  So, my strata building liveability factors are as follows. 

Location - The building location suit a variety of occupiers’ needs – with access to work, transport, living, health, education and entertainment needs.

Built form - The configuration and construction of the building provides for safe, comfortable, private and useful separate accommodation and matching shared spaces.

Maintenance – The building is in good order and maintenance is ubiquitous (in that it happens without people noticing except in unusual circumstances).

Expenses - The steady state operational costs should match the socio-economic mix and capacities of owners and occupiers.

Disputes – Whenever conflicts arise they are resolved quickly in fair and transparent ways.

Commerciality - Buying, selling and leasing in the building is trouble free.

Adaptation - Longer term maintenance and building upgrades are regularly considered and (if agreed) promptly implemented.

Socialisation – Occupiers have opportunities to interact with each other on different matters.

There may be others too.  But, I think that if you could rate your building over 3 stars (out of 5) on all these it would be a pretty good place.

What do you think? What makes your building liveable (or not)?

Francesco …