Six themes in the key of life
Here at the Quality of Life Foundation, we focus on the way people think and feel about their homes and communities, and how their experience can be improved. We do this through commissioning research to provide insights and leadership, then finding ways to change how our homes and communities are created and cared for.
That’s why we conducted a review of studies, reports and policies that address the link between quality of life and the built environment.
The review, compiled with the help of Publica, identifies the need for systemic change in both the public and private sectors, including changes in the way that government regulates the housing sector. The review also identifies six key themes relating to quality of life and the homes and communities in which we live:
- a sense of control
- freedom of movement
- belonging and togetherness
- feeling cared for
- access to nature
- fun and wonder
A sense of control emerged as a key aspect of quality of life and was also found to arise in relation to each of the other five themes, possibly because it describes the level of involvement and influence people have within their homes and communities.