Science Focus
original post »Criteria like housing prices, population density, and crime rates are often emphasized when people consider the desirability of living in an urban area. These "livability" factors are associated with higher life satisfaction, both directly (by making the lives of residents better) and indirectly (because more affluent and satisfied people live in these neighborhoods).
However, according to a recent PNAS paper, these livability factors can only account for two-thirds of the difference in life satisfaction, with a large portion of the difference being attributed to something more surprising: a match between personality and neighborhood. In London, personality traits cluster in different neighborhoods and contribute to the life satisfaction of the residents there.
Standard livability rankings “tend to imply that all people would value the same residential areas equally,” write the authors of the paper. This doesn’t take into account that life satisfaction seems to depend partially on being well matched with a neighborhood, they argue. The researchers suggest that certain personalities may be more likely to flourish in certain circumstances than others, meaning that different urban characteristics will suit different types of people. “For example, a location with high cultural diversity might enhance the lives of residents who are eager to explore new customs and cuisines, but increase the anxiety and discomfort of residents who prefer to live by their own social traditions,” they suggest.
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