(Des)construindo índices de qualidade de vida: uma abordagem crítico-analítica à formulação de indicadores de sustentabilidade para Porto Alegre

Abstract

The present work was developed with the scope of understanding quality of life and sustainability in our cities, as well as the instruments that have been used to measure them. This paper presents an analysis of the main sets of indicators, from different origins ”” both those developed by United Nations. as well as local proposals - aiming at evaluating the possibilities and limitations to apply them. The city of Porto Alegre (Brazil) is taken as an empirical reference to verify the adequacy of each one of these assesment tools, particularly those related to housing. After the identification and analysis of the indices components, conceptual and operational issues (level of geographic disaggregation, regularity and form of data acquisition, among others) are collated, as well as the availability of new studies and approaches to the local reality. The aim of this analysis is to contribute for the evaluation and the improvement of such urban management nstruments.