Quality Assessment of Residential Environment with Quality of Life Indicators The Case of Mehr Housing Complex in Pardis New Town

Abstract

Mehr Housing Scheme was initiated in 2008 to provide public land and heavily subsidized financing for boosting housing construction throughout the country. The Government vigorously pursued this policy between 2010~2012, striving to build some 2.18 million low-cost dwellings. The quality of life in housing provided under this scheme is currently a major question. To answer this question, this paper first develops a set of indicators for assessing the quality of life in residential Environments. The indicators selected are in line with urban planning standards and include public amenities, recreational services, population density, and access to other services such as kindergarten, daily markets, and green space. Subjective indicators are also employed to assess the overall satisfaction level of the inhabitants. By applying this practical model composed of these indicators to Mehr Housing projects, it is concluded that the residents were mostly dissatisfied with the physical services of their dwellings, as well as the security and health issues of their environment. These indicators were found to be of the highest importance for residents, while the economic dimension was the least important aspect.