Assessing the Quality of Life of Regional Centres in Poland in the Context of Smart and Sustainable Cities

Abstract

The article addresses the issue of quality of life in cities based on developed methodology. A multidimensional approach was adopted, namely 28 subindices characterizing seven dimensions affecting the quality of life in 18 provincial cities in Poland. The developed methodology consisted of two stages. In the first stage, using the indicators, the values of quality-of-life indices for the studied dimensions were determined. In the second stage, using these results, the values of the total quality-of-life indices in the studied cities were measured. Then, rankings for the cities in question were created. In addition, based on the values of the dimension indices and total indices, the levels of quality of life were determined. Relationships between parameters characterizing the sizes of studied cities and their wealth and the determined quality of life were also measured. The Gray Rational Analysis method was used for ranking, and three objective analytical methods were used to determine index weights: Equal weight, Entropy and CRITIC, and the Laplace’s criterion. The results indicate that living standards in the studied cities vary widely, both in terms of the value of the total index and the indices of individual dimensions. The best living conditions were found in Warsaw (the capital of Poland), Białystok and Olsztyn, and the worst in Kielce and Szczecin.