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Sustainable Development and Quality of Life

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Multidimensional Approach to Quality of Life Issues

Abstract

Awareness of the need for sustainable development is increasing throughout the world. The goals of sustainable development, oriented around the “three E’s”—environmental protection, economic growth, and social equity , also correlate with quality of life considerations. Quality of life addresses peoples’ perceptions of their position in life in relation to their culture, values, and expectations. Using measures such as the life satisfaction rating and the human development index, both available from the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), a positive correlation between self-assessed well-being and overall life satisfaction becomes evident. The UNDP also provides an environmental performance index which likewise correlates with well-being. These correlations appear at both national- and city-specific scales. Achieving progress in quality of life through sustainable development, particularly at the city level, requires careful planning that is both place and culture specific and that involves community and citizen input. Improving quality of life and meeting the needs of the present through sustainable development will help ensure greater likelihood of likewise accommodating the needs of future generations.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Geography, Outdoor Recreation, and Planning, Keene State College, Keene, NH, 03435-2001, USA

    Christopher Cusack

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  1. Christopher Cusack
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Correspondence to Christopher Cusack .

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Editors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Geography, Institute of Science, Banaras Hindu University, Varanasi, Uttar Pradesh, India

    Braj Raj Kumar Sinha

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Cusack, C. (2019). Sustainable Development and Quality of Life. In: Sinha, B. (eds) Multidimensional Approach to Quality of Life Issues. Springer, Singapore. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-13-6958-2_3

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