Browsing by Author "Banzhaf, Ellen"

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    A conceptual framework for integrated analysis of environmental quality and quality of life
    (2014) Banzhaf, Ellen; de la Barrera, Francisco; Kindler, Annegret; Reyes-Paecke, Sonia; Schlink, Uwe; Welz, Juliane; Kabisch, Sigrun
    Environmental quality has a strong influence on the quality of life for human beings. There are direct linkages between primary elements of the environment, such as air, water, and land surface and the quality of life. Our main research refers to the question how residents and their environment interact by assessing the measured and perceived environmental quality and quality of life. Although, this integrated research requires a wide range of data, there is a lack of studies which have attempted to combine qualitative and quantitative data on quality of the environment and subsequently, quality of life. Based on Lawrence's (2011) notion of environmental quality as a complex concept that is neither static nor absolute, we focus on two interrelated sets of components: bio-geophysical, measurable components and subjective susceptibility of the environmental burdens. We do this by a combined qualitative and quantitative analysis to draw out dimensions of environmental quality and subsequently, quality of life. (C) 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.
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    Do demographic and land-use changes contrast urban and suburban dynamics? A sophisticated reflection on Santiago de Chile
    (2013) Banzhaf, Ellen; Reyes Paecke, Sonia; Müller, Annemarie; Kindler, Annegret
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    Evaluating public green spaces for the quality of life in cities by integrating RS mapping tools and social science techniques
    (IEEE, 2017) Banzhaf, Ellen; De la Barrera, Francisco
    Urban green spaces are essential for the well-being of citizens. We developed a mixed method approach by (1) exploiting RS data to estimate amount and distribution of vegetation cover and (2) conducting a social survey to add in-depth knowledge on accessibility and perception of green spaces. The study area are three municipalities of Santiago de Chile characterized by different household incomes. Existing indicators, such as the amount of green spaces per inhabitant, do not provide enough information for effective decision-making. Our aim was to develop tools to improve planning of location and quality of green spaces in complex urban areas. We apply a set of indicators to disclose existing inequalities. In addition, our in-situ observation on the usage of green spaces and conducted interviews helped to reflect the perception of green spaces by residents.
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    What really matters in green infrastructure for the urban quality of life? Santiago de Chile as a showcase city
    (Springer Cham, 2018) Banzhaf, Ellen; Reyes Paecke, Sonia; De La Barrera Melgarejo, Francisco; CEDEUS (Chile)
    The built, green and social environment express the situation of a city and, to a large extent, indicate the development of the urban area. These components of the urban environment have a strong impact on the quality of life of citizens. Along with the concepts of resource efficiency and resilience in cities, the quality of life forms one of the three pillars on which our research on urban transformations is grounded. We approach the concept of quality of life from the environmental perspective and understand the human well-being as an integral part of the broader concept of quality of life. In this study we focus on green infrastructure (GI) as an indication for quality of life research. Here, we measure the extent to which people can access GI as a service and profit from this infrastructure for health-related and social dimensions (Scottish Executive 2005; Bognar 2005). Rapid urbanisation processes accelerate land-use changes that mostly go along with extensive urban land consumption and involve population developments. Such multi-dimensional changes in urban land use and land-consumption patterns are very dynamic and widely ramified. They can evoke unsustainable structures that entangle social-spatial differentiations which are discussed in the context of urban growth and shrinkage processes (see Haase et al. in this volume, dealing with urban dynamics, Seto et al. 2011; Kabisch and Kuhlicke 2014). As land is a limited and contested resource, it demands for infrastructural provision and, particularly with respect to urban quality of life and a sustainable urban development, for the provision of green infrastructure.