Effect of Housing Type on Subjective Well-Being: Focus on New Town Developments in South Korea
Publication: Journal of Urban Planning and Development
Volume 148, Issue 3
Abstract
As urbanization has matured in many areas, interest in qualitative values such as residents' residential satisfaction, social capital, and subjective well-being (SWB) has increased. However, few studies have investigated the influence of different urban environments, including housing types, on residential satisfaction, social capital, and SWB. The present study compares residential satisfaction, social capital, and SWB levels of two different housing types: high-rise apartments and low-rise dwellings. To this end, the authors analyze the large-scale survey data collected from 20,000 residents in Gyeonggi-do, Republic of Korea, using structural equation modeling. The analysis found that the satisfaction level of apartment residents tends to be higher, but their social capital level tends to be lower than their counterparts in low-rise dwellings. Because residential satisfaction and social capital dimensions are positively associated with the dimensions of SWB, the model identified apartments' positive indirect effects via residential satisfaction and negative indirect effects via social capital on subjective well-being. The results imply countervailing effects of apartment developments on residents' SWB: although offering more satisfactory residential environments, high-rise apartments may discourage social capital formation. These results call for urban planning and policy approaches that encourage social ties and interactions, thereby eventually improving residents' SWB.
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Data Availability Statement
Some or all data, models, or code generated or used during the study are proprietary or confidential in nature and may only be provided with restrictions.
Acknowledgments
This work was supported by the Ministry of Education of the Republic of Korea and the National Research Foundation of Korea (NRF-2019S1A5A2A01047678).
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Journal of Urban Planning and Development
Volume 148 • Issue 3 • September 2022
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© 2022 American Society of Civil Engineers.
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Received: Jul 8, 2021
Accepted: Jan 6, 2022
Published online: Apr 20, 2022
Published in print: Sep 1, 2022
Discussion open until: Sep 20, 2022
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