Authors

• Strandell, Anna (Finnish Environment Institute (SYKE))

Keywords

housing, neighbourhoods, open spaces and recreational areas, public services, residential areas, social environment

Abstract

The Residents' Barometer 2016 is a Finnish survey study examining perceptions of the quality of local environments and housing in urban settlements that house more than 10,000 residents. The study surveyed the functionality of the residential areas and the residents' housing satisfaction. The study also examined preferences, wishes and criteria that affected the housing choices of residents of urban settlements in Finland.

The respondents were first asked about the number of people in the household, how long they had lived in their current residential area, the household's gross income, the size of the apartment, and the housing type by tenure. The survey also contained questions about nights spent in other locations (e.g. due to work or holidays) and satisfaction in the local environment and its services, such as healthcare, schooling, and public transportation. Satisfaction in the atmosphere of the local environments was further charted with questions about bicycling opportunities, traffic safety, parks, and local stores.

The survey also explored the residents' wishes for different types of services in their residential areas, such as libraries, sports venues and other exercise opportunities, and pubs. Questions regarding the residents' employment and their commute were also asked. The respondents were asked to evaluate the most important factors that caused satisfaction and dissatisfaction in the residential area. Finally, the survey examined the respondents’ opinions on the type of house and residential area that they would like to move to, and the factors that they deemed important when choosing a residential area.

The background variables included the language spoken at home, age, gender, household composition, region, dwelling density, and the size of the urban settlement.