Small cities of happiness

In the forefront of the quality of life rankings, cities are seen where social justice holds a higher place. Residents of these cities also live longer and have greater access to healthcare facilities. Furthermore, recreational and cultural amenities are abundant.

NOURNEWS: When discussing quality of life, each person envisions a perspective based on their expectations and demands, which allows them to assess their own quality of life. Factors influencing quality of life vary based on personal preferences but often include financial security, job satisfaction, family life, social connections, health, and safety. Some measure quality of life predominantly through financial and economic aspects, considering financial well-being a significant factor in enhancing quality of life.

Although financial wealth often implies access to greater comfort and consequently relief from anxiety and stress, it is not necessarily the sole determinant of increased quality of life. For instance, consider an individual who spends long hours in a high-paying job and faces no financial difficulties, yet extreme fatigue due to overwork leaves them with little opportunity to enjoy their possessions. In reality, they sacrifice their quality of life for financial security, which affects other aspects of their life such as family relationships.

On the other hand, consider someone who has accumulated sufficient wealth and no longer needs to work extensively, yet lives in an insecure environment where their wealth makes them a target for criminals. Thus, it becomes evident that quality of life is not merely an individual indicator but encompasses various dimensions of social life.

The accumulation of wealth is not necessarily a reason for increasing quality of life. Therefore, even in developed countries where economic prosperity is largely achieved, people do not always feel they have a high quality of life. Before 2005, economic growth was considered the most important factor in defining quality of life, but in that year, the Economist Intelligence Unit (EIU) introduced a new index for ranking countries in relation to quality of life, encompassing both economic and social dimensions. This serious criterion was named the "Quality of Life Index" (QLI), reflecting the well-being and satisfaction of a city's residents, which is indicative of various social and economic factors.

The new index comprises 9 important factors, each playing a key role in increasing quality of life: material well-being, health, political stability and security, family life, social life, climate and geography, job security, political freedom, and gender equality.

Every year, countries around the world are evaluated and ranked based on this index, which is conducted by various organizations. Among these organizations are Numbeo, a global crowdsourcing platform, and Oxford Economics.

Recently, a new ranking by Oxford Economics evaluated 1000 cities from 163 countries based on the quality of life index. The evaluation focused on five main factors: economy, human capital, quality of life, environment, and governance.

It is highlighted that assessing the strengths and relative importance of cities globally is valuable for businesses, academics, and policymakers alike to make informed decisions, considering more than just economic performance.

The report emphasized cities where residents experience less inequality and where social justice holds a higher place tend to have the highest quality of life. Additionally, residents of cities with the highest quality of life live longer and have greater access to healthcare facilities. These residents also have access to recreational and cultural amenities.

Interestingly, cities with the highest quality of life are not necessarily metropolises or economically superior cities. At the top of this ranking is Grenoble in France, primarily due to the presence of recreational and cultural facilities per capita and income equality.

In Iran, five cities are ranked among 1000 cities globally according to the Oxford quality of life index. These cities are Rasht, Shiraz, Tehran, Mashhad, and Zahedan, ranked 738, 744, 745, 749, and 752 respectively.

In Tehran, various indices were considered, highlighting challenges such as low purchasing power, average safety index, average healthcare availability, high cost of living, very high property price-to-income ratio, high traffic congestion index, and very high pollution index. Overall, Tehran received a very low quality of life index score of 54.68.

Within the country, studies have been conducted on the quality of life in cities, including one titled "Assessment of Urban Quality of Life in Tehran Metropolis," published in the summer of 2014, which identified 19 influential factors affecting the lives of Tehran residents.

In conclusion, while the lifespan of the quality of life index based on economic and social dimensions is not extensive, research in this field, especially in Iran, is not extensive. However, given the importance of its important factors, it can be expected that it will follow a more or less similar pattern in different cities around the world.