Development of a Composite Model of Quality of Life: A Case Study in Austin, Texas

Recent literature in Geography and Urban Planning has focused on the assessment of Quality of Life (QOL) experienced by residents. Despite the lack of a universal method for study, researchers have generally accepted common variables related to reported QOL. This research examines how QOL may be studied empirically for Austin, Texas by using social, economic, and environmental variables at the census tract level. In addition to factors examined by previous researchers, crime rate and commute time are included to better understand their effect on QOL. Economic and social variables, including crime rate and commute time, were derived from the U.S. Census and the Austin Police Department. The environmental quality variables were derived from Landsat 7 ETM+ imageries. A factor analysis approach was used to indicate how variables relate to each other as well as QOL for the study area. Using the percentage of variance for each variable as a weight, a synthesized index was developed to assess QOL in Austin, Texas. Model validation by using median home value normalized by number of rooms indicated the usefulness of a synthetic QOL index to predict relative market value at the census tract level.

Name thesis:degree_name

Master of Science

Level thesis:degree_level

Masters

Discipline thesis:degree_discipline

Geography

Grantor

Texas State University-San Marcos

Year dc:date.issued

2011

Author dc:creator

• Hickman, David T.

Advisor dc:contributor.advisor

• Chow, T. Edwin

Committee members dc:contributor.committeemember

• Currit, Nathan Allen
• Romig, Kevin

• quality of life
• Qol
• crimes
• commutes
• urban
• Austin

Language dc:language.iso

en

Handle dc:identifier.uri

https://hdl.handle.net/10877/3389

OAI identifier oai:identifier

oai:digital.library.txst.edu:10877/3389