The City of Kragujevac, in cooperation with the UN Habitat, which is addressing the complexities of human settlements and sustainable urbanization, has launched a project called the "Quality of Life Initiative", which is implemented within the framework of the United Nations Human Settlements Program. On this occasion, a two-day workshop was held at the Business Innovation Center, where participants were introduced to the Quality of Life Initiative and how it is implemented.
Kragujevac is the second city in Serbia, among five in Europe, to participate in this UN Habitat Program. The program is adapted to each region, environment, and city that have certain parameters which are mutually measurable, as this globalizes the system of the Quality of Life Index, said Ivan Radulović, the Chief City Planner. The project envisages obtaining the Quality of Life Index based on nine basic domains, key areas that make up life - from public services, through social cohesion, health and social care, recreation, green areas, and the environment, which provide a comprehensive image of its quality.
By monitoring the indicators that can be objective, based on statistical and similar numerical data, but also subjective, obtained through certain surveys, we measure the quality of life in our city, Mr. Radulović explains.
This becomes the basis for decision-making and some public policy instruments, for conducting sustainable public strategies, plans, directing innovations at the local community level, and making investments. The project will be implemented in several steps over the coming months. In order to properly measure and compare the Quality of Life in Kragujevac with other cities included in the Initiative, cooperation with the local and regional stakeholders of importance to the city and its community is the key, Mr. Radulović concluded.
