Population Change and Quality of Life in Relation to Urban Development in North America, Europe and Asia

Emma Terama, University of Amsterdam and Finnish Environment Institute

Quality of life (QoL) and happiness are increasingly prevalent topics in academic literature. This article explores city specific development and life satisfaction in relation to demographic change in Asia, North America and Europe. How did certain cities develop to be such heavens for good quality of life? Do the regions differ in terms of their quality of urban living? It is suggested that the demographic transition and demographic change in general have (had) consequences on city development, and thus have a measurable effect on the experienced quality of living. Population growth is therefore related to quality of life. In addition to being compact, green and sustainable, the cities whose population enjoys a high QoL and satisfaction tend to share trends in long term demographic development.