Environment and Resident Perception: Using Geographic Information Systems and Survey Methods

This paper examines the relationship between subjective measures of quality of life in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, and objective measures of neighborhood environment using Geographic Information Systems. The research analyzes differences in participant perceptions of health and environment by combining spatial cluster analysis with survey methods to understand the spatial context of subjective well-being. Environmental Justice Areas are used as objective measures of socio-economic differences in the spatial analysis. The results found significant statistical differences as well as spatial clustering of survey responses and contribute to recent research analyzing subjective well-being through spatial analysis of objectively measured neighborhood conditions.