Subjective Residential Environment and its Implications for Quality of Life Among University Students in Hong Kong

This paper reports the results of a convenient sample survey of 500 Hong Kong university students conducted in May 2003. The main aim of the survey was to investigate the respondents' perception of the residential environment and its implications for the quality of life (QOL). Results indicated that the respondents were generally satisfied with the residential environment, scoring a mean satisfaction rating of 3.32, on a 5-point Likert scale. The type, size and age of a respondent's home, years of occupancy and attending university were found to be significantly related to the overall satisfaction. Transport (4.37), environmental quality (4.30), and public utilities (4.25) were reported to be the most important infrastructures for the QOL, but environmental quality (3.21), education (3.11) and greening (2.98) were considered to be the least satisfactory ones. The desirable distribution of facilities and services was defined by their functions and the new urban designs were appreciated by the respondents. Although available space was less than the ideal and public transport was a serious concern, the respondents had adapted well to the high-density environment and enjoyed the urban life in Hong Kong. It is hoped that the results and findings of this study can provide a reference for the formulation of future development strategy in Hong Kong.

[1]  G. Root,et al.  Population density and spatial differentials in child mortality in Zimbabwe. , 1997, Social science & medicine.

[2]  Kingsley John Hughes.  Hong Kong: making the most of a compact city , 1996 .

[3]  A. Yeh,et al.  Public Housing and Urban Development in Hong Kong , 1984 .

[4]  Ago Yeh,et al.  The Planning and Management of a Better High Density Environment , 2000 .

[5]  Toward a Social Development Index For Hong Kong: The Process of Community Engagement , 2002 .

[6]  Jasmin K. Riad,et al.  The more (men), the less merry: Social density, social burden, and social support , 1994 .

[7]  Martin J. Beckmann.  Lectures on location theory , 1999 .

[8]  C. Xue,et al.  Public space in the old derelict city area – a case study of Mong Kok, Hong Kong , 2001 .

[9]  D. Adams,et al.  Urban renewal in Hong Kong: transition from development corporation to renewal authority , 2001 .

[10]  Daniel Stokols,et al.  A Social-Psychological Model of Human Crowding Phenomena , 1972 .

[11]  R. Sugden,et al.  The Quality of Life. , 1994 .

[12]  Richard E. Lucas,et al.  Subjective Weil-Being: Three Decades of Progress , 2004 .

[13]  M. Sirgy,et al.  Quality of College Life (QCL) of Students: Developing and Validating a Measure of Well-Being , 2007 .

[14]  L. Lai.  Density policy towards public housing. A Hong Kong theoretical and empirical review , 1993 .

[15]  Theresa N. Westover,et al.  Perceived Crowding in Recreational Settings , 1989 .

[16]  K. Motamedi.  The quality of American life , 1976 .

[17]  Y. Chan,et al.  Density, Crowding, and Factors Intervening in Their Relationship: Evidence from a Hyper-dense Metropolis , 1999 .

[18]  S. Ganesan,et al.  Urban Challenges in Hong Kong: Future Directions for Design , 2000 .

[19]  R. Rosenheck,et al.  Residential Environment and Quality of Life Among Seriously Mentally Ill Residents of Board and Care Homes , 2002, Community Mental Health Journal.

[20]  Yeun Sook Lee,et al.  Development of an instrument to measure the aesthetic quality of housing environment , 1984 .

[21]  R E Mitchell,et al.  Some social implications of high density housing. , 1971, American sociological review.

[22]  C. Senn.  10 – Housing and the Residential Environment , 1971 .

[23]  K. Tang.  East Asian Newly Industrializing Countries: Economic Growth and Quality of Life , 1998 .

[24]  K. Craik,et al.  The Development of Perceived Environmental Quality Indices , 1976 .