Introduction

Abstract

This book is about the residential life experiences of different social groups in a metropolitan area and what they mean for environmental design and public policy. Residential environment is an important domain of quality-of-life experiences; good residential environments enhance life satisfaction and the individual’s overall sense of well-being. Environmental design and public policy are both important in shaping the quality of residential environments. It follows, therefore, that both designers and public policymakers should be apprised of how people perceive, use, image, and value their environment and what they need and expect from it. A good environment cannot be built without an understanding of its social and human purposes.