Urban sustainability and perceived satisfaction in neoliberal cities

• Published in: Cities Vol. 126; p. 103647
• Main Authors: Valenzuela-Levi, N., Fuentes, L., Ramirez, M.I., Rodriguez, S., Señoret, A.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Kidlington Elsevier Ltd 01.07.2022; Elsevier Science Ltd
• Subjects: Cities; Climate; Crises; Discontent; Households; Housework; Inequality; Latin America; Metropolitan areas; Neoliberal; Neoliberalism; Satisfaction; Social exclusion; Sustainability; Sustainable development; Urban areas; Urban development; Urban sustainability; Urbanism; Urbanization; Neoliberal; Discontent; Urban sustainability; Cities; Satisfaction; Latin America
• ISSN: 0264-2751; 1873-6084
• DOI: 10.1016/j.cities.2022.103647

In light of growing levels of urbanisation globally, the concept of urban sustainability has become an increasingly important element of the general discussion on sustainable development. However, few studies have addressed the various dimensions of sustainability and the different territorial scales on which day-to-day urban life takes place. Instances of discontent and social crisis have become commonplace in many of the world's major cities. Around the globe, inequality is seen as associated with a neoliberal urbanisation process that offers few solutions to issues of social exclusion and the climate crisis. The present work proposes the use of households' perceived satisfaction when analysing urban sustainability in neoliberal cities. Data is taken from the Sustainable Urban Development Perception Survey, conducted in the two main metropolitan areas of Chile, a country that since the 1970s has been widely considered to be a prime example of orthodox neoliberalism. We propose and test new dimensions with which to address urban sustainability, through the lens of perceived satisfaction, a key element in the analysis of the discontent that is sweeping across major cities globally. •Perceptions of community and the environment are more linked to satisfaction at the urban scale.•Perceptions of individual opportunities are more linked to satisfaction at the household and national level.•We find no correlation between pro-environmental behavior and satisfaction.•Santiago, an emblematic neoliberal city, is significantly linked to higher dissatisfaction.•Environmental policy could lack popular support if it is not linked to people’s satisfaction.