‘Sustainability versus Liveability’: An Exploration of Central City Housing Satisfaction

Abstract

Issues surrounding central city residential housing have increased in prominence in recent times as a result of the onus on the planning systems of most Western countries to develop a more sustainable development pattern. Similarly to many British and US cities, Dublin in recent times has been successful in attracting large numbers of residents back into new residential developments within the central city. This paper raises questions relating to the long-term sustainability of these areas as residents ultimately express a preference to reside in lower-density locations. In examining what lies behind these residential preferences, this paper focuses on one aspect of individuals' mobility behaviour: namely housing satisfaction.Results from a logistic model of housing satisfaction indicate that both background variables such as age and ethnicity as well as various design elements of the dwelling unit emerge as significant predictors of overall housing satisfaction within these newly regenerated residential areas.

Residential preferences of the ‘creative class’?

“…These studies highlight the tendency for older age cohorts to locate beyond the central area irrespective of occupational characteristics (i.e irrespective of 'creative class' membership). This work also corresponds with previous research conducted in Dublin which highlighted the limitations of city centre living for older demographics that tended to favour suburban and peripheral areas irrespective of their association with the 'creative class' (Howley, 2010;). In our interviews with transnational migrant workers, respondents frequently cited the impact of life-cycle and personal trajectory issues in determining whether they located in the central or suburban areas.…”

What Does It Take to Make the Compact City Liveable for Wider Groups? Identifying Key Neighbourhood and Dwelling Features

“…Thus, limited space was a concern, and when asked about what they would change in their dwelling in an open question, 83% of the respondents stated a desire for larger and better-designed units. Satisfaction with the size of the kitchen was the most important factor for overall satisfaction with the apartment in Howley's (2010) study [32]. In addition, storage space, sound insulation, and the view from the dwelling were significant determinants of apartment satisfaction.…”

Nature-based solutions for the contemporary city/Re-naturing the city/Reflections on urban landscapes, ecosystems services and nature-based solutions in cities/Multifunctional green infrastructure and climate change adaptation: brownfield greening as an adaptation strategy for vulnerable communities?/Delivering green infrastructure through planning: insights from practice in Fingal, Ireland/Planning for biophilic cities: from theory to practice

“…Here, places of work, residence and entertainment are juxtaposed to services in a medium to high-density public transit-orientated morphology that prioritises convenience and a desire to enliven the urban experience, creating a "city of short distances". For many, urban intensification or compactness is the crucial paradigm to be applied to achieve sustainability (Howley et al, 2009). Throughout the 1990s, achieving a more compact urban form and brownfield redevelopment became the planning orthodoxy in many western societies, exemplified by the UK's "urban renaissance" agenda promoted by Lord Richard Rodger's Urban Task Force (1999).…”