Urban livability and contextual uncertainties: An assessment of livability through the lens of urban dwellers in Guwahati, India

Abstract

The frenetic pace of urban growth in India has caused major concerns regarding the quality of urban livability. Thus, constructing livable cities has become a major goal for new urbanization in India. But urban livability as a behavioral function of the interaction between urban environment and individual characteristics is still understudied. Therefore, to enhance urban livability and construct people-oriented livable cities, this research study aimed to understand the perception of the residents of Guwahati, India, on urban livability and its determinants. Following the notion of uncertain geographic context problem (UGCoP), the current study developed an appropriate conceptual and methodological framework that evaluated the residents’ satisfaction with urban livability and the effect of its dimensions using statistical methods, which were exploratory factor analysis, structural equation modeling and Spearman’s rank correlation. The empirical results of the study indicate that residents’ mean satisfaction with the city’s livable condition is above dissatisfaction level (2.735) and the four examined dimensions have a positive influence upon residents’ satisfaction with urban livability. Additionally, different socio-economic attributes also exert significant effects on the overall satisfaction with urban livability. Therefore, this study is a practical example and model reference for enhancing urban livability in India, particularly for fast-growing cities.