Shaping Urban Well-Being: Exploring the Built Environment – Quality of Life Nexus in Abbottabad

Abstract

The process of uncontrolled urbanization has significantly changed the way the modern cities look, and, in many cases, at the expense of the quality of the environment, urban forms and, eventually, human health. The increasing scope of growth of cities with such a high rate, often without holistic planning, means that the physical structure of the urban environment has a greater impact on the physical well-being of the inhabitants, their psychological comfort, and their quality of life in general. In that regard, the issue of how architecture, urban structure, and psychological well-being are interconnected requires a serious academic and professional consideration. This paper aims at critically discussing the environmental qualities of the built environment that are relevant to the well-being of cities and determining the design-oriented interventions that can be used to increase or re-instill a sense of physical and psychological comfort in urban areas. The study is premised on an empirical study of the Abbottabad city in Pakistan on the subject of public spaces with a mixed methodology that is composed of field surveys, structured questionnaires, and systematic on site observations. The approaches enabled the complete comprehension of how citizens feel and see their daily urban experiences. The image of a wellbeing city assessment is the parameter that is determined by a set of well-defined indicators- both strengths and deficiencies ingrained in the current built environment. The ratings were done with the help of a research based questionnaire, which was filled by the people living in the area, so that the results obtained are an actual reflection of the user perception and experience in the area. The results of the study can be useful to architects, urban designers and planners, as it provides people-centered approach to the aspect of well-being in urban design and policy-making. Predicting human experience and mental health, the study helps to create more functional and efficient cities, however emotionally supportive, inclusive and supportive of holistic well-being in the future.