Operationalizing the Capabilities Approach to Understand Neighborhood Well-Being in a Participatory Action Research Study

Abstract

The capabilities approach is useful for evaluating progress toward the just city. We report how a Participatory Action Research consortium studying neighborhood change and well-being designed a survey instrument measuring respondents’ ability to fulfill a set of common life priorities. We present data on priority endorsement and fulfillment, and conduct a factor analysis to explore the underlying structure of the instrument. We argue that the instrument operationalizes the capabilities approach and serves as a model for using participatory methods to evaluate the impact of planning interventions on social justice and health equity.