The Quality of Life Initiative supports local authorities and decision makers to understand how their current investment and policy priorities improve the well being and quality of life of the individuals and communities they serve and how to make tangible, long term improvements in the lives of urban populations.

The Initiative aims to develop a comprehensive, human-centric concept of quality of life including objective and subjective factors and to promote it as a primary urban development objective.

The three year project includes the development of a performance monitoring tool incorporating innovative data gathering techniques for authorities in cities and towns worldwide to measure their progress and the gaps in improving the quality of life. The globally relevant, locally applicable measuring tool is being created through wide ranging consultations and will be aligned with the Urban Monitoring Framework (UMF).

The Initiative is being implemented by the United Nations Human Settlements Programme (UN-Habitat), the UN agency focused on sustainable urban development. Human well being has been identified as one of the key transformative shifts needed to achieve the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals and the Quality of Life Initiative will contribute by helping subnational governments in urban areas achieve progress towards a prosperous and fulfilling life for individuals and communities.