Assessment of Livable City Maturity Levels: Concepts and Case Studies
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Abstract
This article presents a framework for evaluating and developing urban livability by integrating the Urban Sustainability Framework (USF) with a seven-stage model of livable city development to provide guidelines for assessing cities' progress toward livability and sustainability, taking into account diverse urban contexts and development levels. The article reviews existing livability concepts and measurement tools to highlight limitations in managing the complexity and diversity of urban livability dimensions, including infrastructure, environmental sustainability, social inclusivity, economic competitiveness, and governance. Case studies of cities at different development stages are analyzed using the developed model to demonstrate its application in varying contexts. The article also discusses implementation challenges and proposes strategies to address them, emphasizing the importance of stakeholder engagement, data collection, and long-term planning. It includes policy recommendations for integrating the model into urban planning processes, promoting innovation, and fostering inter-city collaboration. The article concludes by outlining future research directions, model improvements, development of stage-specific indicators, and exploration of new technology impacts on urban livability. This integrated approach provides a useful tool for policymakers, urban planners, and researchers in their efforts to create more livable and sustainable cities.
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