Rotterdam, The Netherlands - A group of leading professionals met in Rotterdam to discuss the key elements which constitute a good quality of life in cities and towns and make recommendations.
The experts were convened by the UN-Habitat supported by a coalition of partners which are implementing a new Quality of Life Initiative to support urban leaders to gather data and to implement and prioritize policies to improve the lives of individuals and communities.
EGM 2 brought together 36 participants (24 in-person and 12 virtual) to explore the challenges cities face and identify relevant domains and attributes that can form part of the Index. The meeting itself involved a pre-meeting survey, followed by a workshop with local government representatives.
EGM 2 was organized around a series of thematic sessions, with breakout group discussions aimed at gaining strategic insights into the multidimensional nature of quality of life and to inform the design of a global Quality of Life Index to support local decision-making.
The most significant findings from the EGM include an identification of the challenges cities and towns are facing and the role of data in the decision-making processes at the local level; a framing of quality of life against the backdrop of current challenges and opportunities; and a comprehensive review of the different domains that comprise quality of life. In addition to this, data capacities were assessed, and several cities were identified as potential pilot cities.
The UN-Habitat-organized EGM took place on the sidelines of the 21st International Society for Quality of Life Studies (ISQOLS) Annual Conference in Rotterdam, the Netherlands. . The theme of the Conference which involved more than 300 professionals and researchers, was ‘Towards A People First Economy: A World to Win’.
The Expert Group Meeting (EGM) on 22 August was part of a series of ongoing consultations, involving a range of subject matter experts, representatives of regional groupings, special interest groups and local and regional government officials. The Expert Group Meeting (EGM) 1 consultation process involved 33 interviews held between June 2023 and August 2023.