Investigating the measurement properties of livability: a scoping review

ABSTRACT

Connecting evidence-based public health recommendations to livability, a popular and relatable construct, can increase the policy relevance of research to improve community design. However, there are many different definitions and conceptualizations of livability and little consensus about its measurement. Improved measurement, including standardization, is needed to increase understanding of livability’s influence on health and to facilitate comparisons across contexts. This study sought to review existing livability measures, how they were created, and evidence regarding their reliability and validity. A scoping review of three databases (PubMed, Google Scholar, and Web of Science) identified 744 eligible studies. After screening, 24 studies, 15 from the original search and 9 through backward citation searches, were included in the review. Most studies were carried out in an urban context. There was minimal consensus across studies on the conceptualization of livability. However, measure domains and indicators overlapped significantly. While the process used to validate the measures varied, most studies reported high levels of reliability and found that livability was correlated with similar measures (e.g. place satisfaction, neighborhood safety, and sense of place) and self-reported health and wellbeing. Further research is needed to develop parsimonious, standardized measures of livability in order to create and sustain livable communities worldwide.

KEYWORDS:

• Livability
• measurement
• scoping review

This article is related to:

Research for city practice

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Geolocation information

This study was conducted in Philadelphia, PA, but includes studies worldwide.

Additional information

Funding

This work was supported by the Drexel University Urban Health Collaborative and the Dornsife School of Public Health’s Department of Community Health and Prevention. Research reported in this publication was supported by the National Institute on Drug Abuse of the National Institutes of Health under Award Number T32DA037801. The content is solely the responsibility of the authors and does not necessarily represent the official views of the National Institutes of Health.

Notes on contributors

Nishita Dsouza

Nishita Dsouza is a researcher dedicated to promoting livable and equitable communities. She has extensive research experience in academic, nonprofit, and public sector settings on projects related to built environment and health, obesity prevention, access to health and social care, implementation science, and behavioral economics. Dr. Dsouza’s research portfolio centers around examining and promoting livable policies, systems, and environments for minoritized populations, and encouraging the dissemination of evidence-based findings for the translation of research across sectors for primary prevention purposes. Nishi is currently a postdoctoral fellow with the Social Intervention Group at Columbia School of Social Work.

Amy Carroll-Scott

Professors Amy Carroll-Scott, Usama Bilal, Irene E. Headen, Rodrigo Reis, and Ana P. Martinez-Donate served as the doctoral dissertation committee for Nishita Dsouza. These authors are a multidisciplinary team of scientists with expertise in urban health, measurement science, and literature review research methods. Drs. Carroll-Scott, Bilal, Headen, and Martinez-Donate are affiliated with the Urban Health Collaborative of Drexel University, and Dr. Reis is the chair of the Urban Design specialization of the Master of Public Health program at the Brown School, Washington University in St. Louis.

Usama Bilal

Professors Amy Carroll-Scott, Usama Bilal, Irene E. Headen, Rodrigo Reis, and Ana P. Martinez-Donate served as the doctoral dissertation committee for Nishita Dsouza. These authors are a multidisciplinary team of scientists with expertise in urban health, measurement science, and literature review research methods. Drs. Carroll-Scott, Bilal, Headen, and Martinez-Donate are affiliated with the Urban Health Collaborative of Drexel University, and Dr. Reis is the chair of the Urban Design specialization of the Master of Public Health program at the Brown School, Washington University in St. Louis.

Irene E. Headen

Professors Amy Carroll-Scott, Usama Bilal, Irene E. Headen, Rodrigo Reis, and Ana P. Martinez-Donate served as the doctoral dissertation committee for Nishita Dsouza. These authors are a multidisciplinary team of scientists with expertise in urban health, measurement science, and literature review research methods. Drs. Carroll-Scott, Bilal, Headen, and Martinez-Donate are affiliated with the Urban Health Collaborative of Drexel University, and Dr. Reis is the chair of the Urban Design specialization of the Master of Public Health program at the Brown School, Washington University in St. Louis.

Rodrigo Reis

Professors Amy Carroll-Scott, Usama Bilal, Irene E. Headen, Rodrigo Reis, and Ana P. Martinez-Donate served as the doctoral dissertation committee for Nishita Dsouza. These authors are a multidisciplinary team of scientists with expertise in urban health, measurement science, and literature review research methods. Drs. Carroll-Scott, Bilal, Headen, and Martinez-Donate are affiliated with the Urban Health Collaborative of Drexel University, and Dr. Reis is the chair of the Urban Design specialization of the Master of Public Health program at the Brown School, Washington University in St. Louis.

Ana P. Martinez-Donate

Professors Amy Carroll-Scott, Usama Bilal, Irene E. Headen, Rodrigo Reis, and Ana P. Martinez-Donate served as the doctoral dissertation committee for Nishita Dsouza. These authors are a multidisciplinary team of scientists with expertise in urban health, measurement science, and literature review research methods. Drs. Carroll-Scott, Bilal, Headen, and Martinez-Donate are affiliated with the Urban Health Collaborative of Drexel University, and Dr. Reis is the chair of the Urban Design specialization of the Master of Public Health program at the Brown School, Washington University in St. Louis.