A quantitative assessment for quality of life: The case of metropolitan Ankara, Turkey

Researches on evaluation of Quality of Life (QOL) gained much attention in quantitative studies and on urban areas especially since recent years. In this study two quantitative methods, namely AHP (Analytic Hierarchy Process) and ELECTRE II (Elimination Et Choix Traduisant la Realite - Elimination and Choice Translating Reality) are used to evaluate QOL. QOL was determined, compared and ranked for eight counties in metropolitan Ankara Metropolitan for the purpose of providing a database for local governments, decision makers and planners involved in policy making, as well as to construct a base for comparative analysis for different urban areas. Different weights were assigned to indicators in two experiments for the eight counties of Ankara during the QOL evaluation process. Result values showed great disparities between the counties in terms of QOL. This information is important especially in revealing problems and for the allocation of scarce resources. Determination of trends over time and awareness of changing conditions and priorities should also be considered as factors for further studies. The study also shows that both AHP and ELECTRE II method can be applied in QOL assessment and ranking.