An assessment of Urban Quality of Life by Using Analytic Hierarchy Process Approach (Case study: Comparative Study of Quality of Life in the North of Iran)

Problem Statement: Researches of quality of life are concentrated mainly on the urban nature in the recent years and the urban quality of life gained many attentions in empirical studies. The concept of urban quality of life is a multi-dimensional and complex issue. So, needless to say that this concept can be used in planning when there is an appropriate and reliable framework for measuring. Approach: The present study tried to create a framework on the base of Analytic Hierarchy Process (AHP) for objective measuring of urban quality of life and then it would be applied for a comparative study of two northern cities of Iran. Results: The results showed that using analytic hierarchy process model creates opportunity to involving the different groups’ views of urban users with respect to their duties and functions in the stage of criteria weighting. Conclusion: This process not only provided an appropriate bed for objective measuring of urban quality of life but it facilitated the participation of urban authorities in the process of measuring and analyzing the urban quality. Also one of the advantages of the model was its high level of clarity and simplicity which could be perceived by all urban decision makers.