Drivers of Municipal Citizen Satisfaction in Sweden : Perceptions of One’s Municipality as a Place to Live in

Abstract:

This study is a deductive quantitative analysis of perceptions of sustainable functions within a cross section of Swedish municipalities. It builds upon the United Nations Human Settlement Program (UN-HABITAT 2013) and their argument that the narrow focus upon economic growth have been given too much attention compared to the social and environmental pillars in the planning and creation and development of sustainable settlements. Therefore this report focuses on the social and environmental pillars of the sustainability concept and finds a clear relationship between the two and how the inhabitants of Swedish municipalities values their locations as places to live in. The study is conducted by a applying a quantitative approach on survey data from Statistics Sweden (2015), by creating variables which correspond to socially and environmentally sustainable urban planning theory and authors such as Healey, Masnavi, Habermas, UN-HABITAT, Brantz, Bramley and Power and many more.

What comes out as most important is Citizen Participation''', Public Space''', Diversity''' and Public transportation''' which all increase the level of Municipal citizen satisfaction both with and without controlling for Education possibilities' (which also have a positive significant effect), Large city regions (City 50'') (also significant positive effect) with hinterlands and Unemployment rates''' (with a quite obvious significant negative effect). What stands out in the controlled model is that all coefficients decrease, except for Diversity''' which increase, indicating the importance of local services, shops, culture and recreation when other primary needs are covered.

Note: Throughout the thesis:  ', '', '' indicate significance 0.1, 0.05. 0.01.