Subjective Quality of Life; Assessment of Residents of Informal Settlements in Iran (A Case Study of Hesar Imam Khomeini, Hamedan)

Urban districts are amongst the main economic, social and political centers of every country which are well known as the focal points of wealth, work, creativity and innovation. These centers, however, are faced with challenges such as social inequality, insecurity, unemployment, inadequate housing, traffic congestion and marginalization, which are dramatically reduced in quality of urban life. Policymakers and planners in national and international levels emphasize the ability of cities to promote quality of human’s life. Informal settlement, which is not considered as an outcome of Iran economic-social transformations, has turned into an important and controversial issue in most Iranian urban areas. The low quality of urban life is readily observable in these areas. Using a descriptive—analytical method, the present paper aims to analyze how residents settled in these areas perceive the quality of life in their neighborhoods. To achieve this goal, Structural Equation Models (SEM) with LISREL 8.50 Software was applied as the research tool. Finding shows economy is the most leading factor to reduce the quality of urban life in informal settlements, which in turn brings about a serious residential, health and recreation issues.