Quality of Life in the Context of Sustainable Development

Dear Colleagues,

Research into the relationship between quality of life and sustainability is gaining increasing attention given the global challenges and the need to meet sustainability commitments.

Interest in the issue of quality of life dates back to the early 1960s. Since then, many expressions and definitions of this concept have been created by representatives of various scientific disciplines. It has been noted that the satisfaction a person derives from life depends not only on the material possessions he or she has, but also on the possibility of fulfilling higher needs, such as a sense of security, opportunities for self-realisation or a state of mind. Quality of life is often equated with a sense of happiness and satisfaction with life and is related to the environment in which human needs are realized. Two approaches to quality of life emerge in the literature: the objective approach, according to which quality of life is the objective conditions of life, and the subjective approach identified with the satisfaction people derive from the different spheres of their lives. Quality of life is a relative and complex concept that refers to many different aspects of human existence. It is co-created by a wide variety of elements, including but not limited to the state of the environment, broadly understood wealth, health and safety, interpersonal relations and participation in the life of a community. A high quality of life is an overarching objective of the concept of sustainable development, the essence of which is precisely a sustainable improvement in the quality of life for present and future generations, achieved by shaping the right balance in the management of three types of capital: economic, social and natural.

The link between quality of life and sustainability is crucial, as the two concepts intersect and complement each other. Sustainability is based on three pillars: economic, social and environmental, each of which has a direct impact on the quality of life of individuals and communities. In this Special Issue, original research articles and reviews are welcome. Research areas may include (but not limited to) the following:

• Study of quality of life in relation to current global challenges;
• Quality of life at the global, national and local levels and the implementation of the SDGs;
• Using artificial intelligence as a tool to identify similarities between definitions of quality of life and sustainability;
• Interactions between SDGs with a focus on SDG3;
• Measuring quality of life and proposing quality of life indicators in relation to sustainable development;
• The impact of the environment on the quality of life;
• Climate change and quality of life;
• The impact of green areas on quality of life;
• The impact of social inequalities on the quality of life;
• Transition to a green economy and quality of life;
• Ecological consumption patterns and the quality of life of individuals and communities;
• Sustainable cities and the quality of life of their inhabitants;
• Research on sustainable agriculture and food production and their impact on quality of life, especially in the context of access to healthy and safe food;
• Legal aspects of sustainable development and quality of life.  

We look forward to receiving your contributions.

Dr. Agnieszka Sompolska-Rzechuła
Dr. Anna Oleńczuk-Paszel
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

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• quality of life
• sustainable development
• sustainable cities
• infrastructure
• renewable energy resources
• protection of the environment
• climate change
• legal aspects of sustainable development and quality of life