Authors

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

Keywords

family environment, housing, local community facilities, neighbourhoods, open spaces and recreational areas, public services, residential areas, social environment

Abstract

The survey studied the experiences of people living in urban settlements in Finland about the quality of their living environment and their housing preferences. The survey focused on the functionality and pleasantness of the residential areas and on residents' housing satisfaction. The survey was carried out as a joint project between the Ministry of the Environment and the Finnish Environment Institute.

The respondents were first asked about the number of people in the household, 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 and satisfaction in the local environment and its services, such as schooling, and public transportation. Satisfaction in the atmosphere of the local environments was further charted with questions about bicycling opportunities, traffic safety, and local stores.

The survey also explored residents' housing preferences and criteria that influence their housing choices. Respondents were asked what kind of services and sports facilities they would like to have in their residential area. The respondents were also asked to evaluate the most important factors that caused satisfaction and dissatisfaction in the residential area. Questions regarding the residents' employment and their commute were also asked. 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.

Background variables included the respondent's mother tongue, age group, gender, NUTS3 region of residence, household composition, dwelling density, and the size of the urban settlement.