Quality of life in the context of the distance from the city centre and access to green areas, illustrated with the case of Kraków district

Abstract

The aim of the study was to determine the diversity in the standard of living of the inhabitants across the municipalities that make up the Kraków district (powiat krakowski). The study ex- amined the socio-economic conditions and the relationship between the standard of living and the distance from the central city. In their research, the authors also attempted to determine the relationship between the quality of life and the accessibility of green areas. The standard of living and accessibility of green areas were defined as synthetic indicators, using the non-model method. In order to verify the research questions, the Pearson’s linear correlation coefficient was applied. The basis for calculating the value of the green areas accessibility index was a network analysis conducted using the QGIS 3.16 software, applied to the CORINE Land Cover 2018 and OpenStreetMap data. The research on the standard of living and quality of life was based on data from public statistics. Ultimately, two classifications were obtained: (1) the standard of living and the quality of life, and (2) the accessibility of green areas. Significant differences in the values of the quality of life and standard of living index were demonstrated. It was concluded that the municipalities of Wielka Wieś, Zabierzów, and Zielonki have the highest standard of living of all the studied area. The best accessibility of green areas is found in the Krzeszowice municipality. In the analysed area, no significant correlation was found between the standard of living and the accessibility of green areas. The results can be applied, among others, in conducting marketing activities of administrative units and as an aid in determining areas requiring the attention of local authorities.