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Local Expressions of Subjective Well-being: The New Zealand Experience

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  • Philip Morrison

Abstract

Morrison P. S. Local expressions of subjective well-being: the New Zealand experience, Regional Studies. Students of regional science have been preoccupied with economic drivers while at the same time implicitly assuming that increasing urban size and density raises local well-being. However, the geography of happiness may not mirror the geography of growth. Rather, there is a localization to the paradox of affluence mainly because raising population density in order to realize agglomeration economies can lower subjective well-being. This paper offers empirical support for this proposition by estimating city fixed-effects for three separate measures of subjective well-being while controlling for the characteristics of individuals as well as their perceptions of accessibility and social capital. [image omitted] Morrison P. S. Des temoignages locaux du bien-etre subjectif: l'experience neo-zelandaise, Regional Studies. Les etudiants de la science regionale ont ete preoccupes par des forces motrices economiques en supposant implicitement et simultanement qu'une augmentation de la taille et de la densite urbaines ameliore le bien-etre local. Cependant, il se peut que la geographie du bonheur ne se reflete pas dans la geographie de la croissance. Il existe plutot une localisation du paradoxe de l'abondance, essentiellement parce que l'augmentation de la densite de la population dans le but de realiser des economies d'agglomeration peut finir par une baisse du bien-etre subjectif. Cet article cherche a fournir du soutien empirique en faveur de cette affirmation en estimant des effets fixes relatifs aux grandes villes employant trois mesures distinctes du bien-etre subjectif, tout en tenant compte des caracteristiques des individus ainsi que de leurs perceptions de l'accessibilite et du capital social. Bien-etre subjectif Bonheur Satisfaction Qualite de la vie Grandes villes Nouvelle-Zelande Morrison P. S. Lokale Ausdrucksformen von subjektivem Wohlbefinden: die Erfahrung von Neuseeland, Regional Studies. Beim Studium der Regionalwissenschaft wird vor allem auf wirtschaftliche Faktoren geachtet, wahrend zugleich implizit angenommen wird, dass sich durch eine Steigerung der Stadtgrosse und -dichte das Wohlbefinden der Menschen vor Ort erhoht. Die Geografie des Glucks ist jedoch nicht unbedingt ein Abbild der Geografie des Wachstums. Vielmehr liegt eine Lokalisierung des Wohlstandsparadoxons vor, insbesondere weil eine Erhohung der Bevolkerungsdichte mit dem Ziel der Verwirklichung von Agglomerationswirtschaften zu einer Verringerung des subjektiven Wohlbefindens fuhren kann. Dieser Beitrag bietet empirische Belege fur diese These in Form einer Schatzung der stadtischen Fixeffekte auf drei separate Massstabe des subjektiven Wohlbefindens unter Berucksichtigung der Merkmale der Personen sowie ihrer Einschatzung hinsichtlich der Erreichbarkeit und des Sozialkapitals. Subjektives Wohlbefinden Gluck Zufriedenheit Lebensqualitat Stadte Neuseeland Morrison P. S. Expresiones locales del bienestar subjetivo: la experiencia de Nueva Zelanda, Regional Studies. En los estudios de ciencia regional se presta atencion a los impulsores economicos mientras que, al mismo tiempo, se supone implicitamente que al aumentar el tamano y la densidad de las ciudades mejora el bienestar a nivel local. Sin embargo, la geografia de la felicidad no necesariamente refleja la geografia del crecimiento. Mas bien existe una localizacion de la paradoja de la riqueza sobre todo porque al aumentar la densidad de la poblacion para desarrollar las economias de aglomeracion puede disminuir el bienestar subjetivo. En este articulo ofrecemos un apoyo empirico a esta proposicion calculando los efectos fijos metropolitanos para tres mediciones por separado del bienestar subjetivo, controlando a la vez las caracteristicas de los individuos asi como sus percepciones de accesibilidad y capital social. Bienestar subjetivo Felicidad Satisfaccion Calidad de vida Ciudades Nueva Zelanda

Suggested Citation

  • Philip Morrison, 2011. "Local Expressions of Subjective Well-being: The New Zealand Experience," Regional Studies, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 45(8), pages 1039-1058.
    • Handle: RePEc:taf:regstd:v:45:y:2011:i:8:p:1039-1058
    DOI: 10.1080/00343401003792476
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    1. Arthur Grimes & Marc Reinhardt, 2015. "Relative Income and Subjective Wellbeing: Intra-national and Inter-national Comparisons by Settlement and Country Type," Working Papers 15_10, Motu Economic and Public Policy Research.
    2. Hooijen, Inge & Cörvers, Frank, 2020. "Living preferences of STEM workers in a high-tech business park of a peripheral region," ROA Research Memorandum 007, Maastricht University, Research Centre for Education and the Labour Market (ROA).
    3. Lingling Su & Suhong Zhou, 2022. "Long-Term Residential Environment Exposure and Subjective Wellbeing in Later Life in Guangzhou, China: Moderated by Residential Mobility History," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 19(20), pages 1-18, October.
    4. Lela Tijanic, 2019. "Urban Paradoxes €“ The Other Side Of Urban Growth And Quality Of Life In European Cities," Economic Thought and Practice, Department of Economics and Business, University of Dubrovnik, vol. 28(1), pages 309-328, june.
    5. Mikko Weckroth & Sanna Ala-Mantila & Dimitris Ballas & Thanasis Ziogas & Jonna Ikonen, 2022. "Urbanity, Neighbourhood Characteristics and Perceived Quality of Life (QoL): Analysis of Individual and Contextual Determinants for Perceived QoL in 3300 Postal Code Areas in Finland," Social Indicators Research: An International and Interdisciplinary Journal for Quality-of-Life Measurement, Springer, vol. 164(1), pages 139-164, November.
    6. Želinský, Tomáš & Hudec, Oto & Mojsejová, Alena & Hricová, Silvia, 2021. "The effects of population density on subjective well-being: A case-study of Slovakia," Socio-Economic Planning Sciences, Elsevier, vol. 78(C).
    7. Chengedzai Mafini & Daniel Francois Meyer, 2016. "Satisfaction with Life Amongst the Urban Poor: Empirical Results from South Africa," Acta Universitatis Danubius. OEconomica, Danubius University of Galati, issue 12(5), pages 33-50, OCTOBER.
    8. Philip S. Morrison, 2021. "Whose Happiness in Which Cities? A Quantile Approach," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(20), pages 1-20, October.
    9. Arthur Grimes & Shaan Badenhorst & David C. Maré & Jacques Poot, 2020. "Hometown wh?nau or big city millennials? The economic geography of graduate destination choices in New Zealand," Working Papers 20_04, Motu Economic and Public Policy Research.
    10. Philip S. Morrison, 2016. "Pride and the city," REGION, European Regional Science Association, vol. 3, pages 103-124.
    11. Lingling Su & Suhong Zhou & Mei-Po Kwan & Yanwei Chai & Xue Zhang, 2022. "The impact of immediate urban environments on people’s momentary happiness," Urban Studies, Urban Studies Journal Limited, vol. 59(1), pages 140-160, January.
    12. Amit Birenboim, 2018. "The influence of urban environments on our subjective momentary experiences," Environment and Planning B, , vol. 45(5), pages 915-932, September.
    13. Liping Liao & Wenjie Wu & Chenglei Zhang, 2022. "Housing prices and the subjective well-being of migrant workers: evidence from China," Journal of Happiness Studies, Springer, vol. 23(7), pages 3363-3388, October.
    14. Minou Weijs-Perrée & Gamze Dane & Pauline van den Berg & Machiel van Dorst, 2019. "A Multi-Level Path Analysis of the Relationships between the Momentary Experience Characteristics, Satisfaction with Urban Public Spaces, and Momentary- and Long-Term Subjective Wellbeing," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 16(19), pages 1-19, September.
    15. Donovan, Stuart & de Graaff, Thomas & Grimes, Arthur & de Groot, Henri L.F. & Maré, David C., 2022. "Cities with forking paths? Agglomeration economies in New Zealand 1976–2018," Regional Science and Urban Economics, Elsevier, vol. 95(C).
    16. Camilla Lenzi & Giovanni Perucca, 2020. "The nexus between innovation and wellbeing across the EU space: What role for urbanisation?," Urban Studies, Urban Studies Journal Limited, vol. 57(2), pages 323-349, February.
    17. Thanasis Ziogas & Dimitris Ballas & Sierdjan Koster & Arjen Edzes, 2020. "How happy are my neighbours? Modelling spatial spillover effects of well-being," Papers 2007.11580, arXiv.org.
    18. Yoko Mayuzumi, 2023. "Survey of rural and urban happiness in Indonesia during the corona crisis," Asia-Pacific Journal of Regional Science, Springer, vol. 7(1), pages 29-67, March.
    19. Fredrik Carlsen & Stefan Leknes, 2019. "The paradox of the unhappy, growing city: reconciling evidence," Discussion Papers 907, Statistics Norway, Research Department.
    20. Arthur Grimes & Shaan Badenhorst & David C. Maré & Jacques Poot & Isabelle Sin, 2023. "Quality of life, quality of business, and destinations of recent graduates: fields of study matter," The Annals of Regional Science, Springer;Western Regional Science Association, vol. 70(1), pages 55-80, February.
    21. Ali Cheshmehzangi, 2018. "The Changing Urban Landscape of Chinese Cities: Positive and Negative Impacts of Urban Design Controls on Contemporary Urban Housing," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 10(8), pages 1-21, August.
    22. Cristina Bernini & Alessandro Tampieri, 2017. "The Happiness Function in Italian Cities," DEM Discussion Paper Series 17-07, Department of Economics at the University of Luxembourg.
    23. Feng Hou, 2014. "Keep Up with the Joneses or Keep on as Their Neighbours: Life Satisfaction and Income in Canadian Urban Neighbourhoods," Journal of Happiness Studies, Springer, vol. 15(5), pages 1085-1107, October.
    24. Matteo Migheli, 2017. "Size of Town, Level of Education and Life Satisfaction in Western Europe," Tijdschrift voor Economische en Sociale Geografie, Royal Dutch Geographical Society KNAG, vol. 108(2), pages 190-204, April.
    25. Gregor Gonza & Anže Burger, 2017. "Subjective Well-Being During the 2008 Economic Crisis: Identification of Mediating and Moderating Factors," Journal of Happiness Studies, Springer, vol. 18(6), pages 1763-1797, December.

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