Quality of life and social inclusion of inland areas: A multidimensional approach to performance policies and planning assessment

Improving quality of life and social inclusion is one of the priorities of national and community policies. Adopting the approach based on capabilities-functioning, the aim of this paper is to measure a Quality of Life (QoL) index of communities, selecting the specific variables that may influence quality of life of inland areas, such as: economic opportunities, health care, education, cultural and leisure activities, work-life balance, health and environmental protection. A QoL index for three dimensions (economic, social and environmental) and a global QoL were calculated using a non-compensatory method. The values obtained are included in the 70–130 range. The model, applied to the Basilicata region (131 municipalities), takes values in a range between 93 and 105, with 61% of municipalities with a global QoL below the regional average (=100). It tends to assume lower values in inland areas: 62% of inland areas are characterized by a global QoL below the regional average, due in part to fewer economic opportunities and social services, but also to the presence of major landslides and seismicity risks, against a greater health and environmental protection. The opportunity to assess the quality of life through an index, over time, may help policy makers addressing policies and evaluating their effects. Furthermore, an analysis of spatial autocorrelation helps identify different clusters and spatial outliers, useful for the identification of areas requiring priority interventions and future actions, which should take into account a balanced growth of the economic, social and environmental dimensions related to the quality of life.