Abstract:
The rapid unplanned urbanization of metropolitan areas has manifested number of
challenges in terms of infrastructure, energy consumption, health care, waste
management and resilience. Thus, forming “liveable” city for its citizens is an aspiration
of the policy makers, designers and city planners. Yet, a detailed exploration of the
concepts of liveability and liveability indicators has not been carried out. Thus, to this
end, this paper advocates to define liveability and related concepts. For that an
exhaustive literature synthesis has been conducted which simultaneously follows two
different paths to define liveability. Firstly, it has reflected number of direct definitions
from indexed literature related to liveability and contrasting the definitions of associate
fragments of accustomed concepts such as sustainability and urbanization
misapprehended as liveability. Secondly, a definition for liveability was derived through
considering the liveability indicators of different liveability indexes According to the
indicators, liveability represents social and economic approach. Yet, the concepts of
sustainability was based on social, economic and environmental aspects when discussed
along with liveability. Hence, Liveability is the balanced and favourable living
conditions within a geographical area and liveable cities are such centralized
communities with comparatively high population to the rest of the region. The policy
making, planning, and political authorities need to ensure the balance of the habitats by
defining liveability to reflect the social, economic aspects emerged through the existing
indicators and the environmental focus of sustainability concepts.
