Individual and corporate decisions about where to locate have a dramatic impact on the character and health of towns and cities. What are the factors influencing these decisions and can they be measured? This book provides the reader with both a detailed review of the subject and a list of key references for further reading. Focusing on Britain, America, and Europe, it tracks current thinking and research and addresses a selection of key factors governing how people perceive quality of life. Divided into two parts, section one examines: the debate about what constitutes quality of life, how to measure the quality of life, and the factors determining quality of life as experienced by individuals. Section two focuses on the issues and policy implications behind each of the following key local factors: safety and security, adequate and affordable shelter, a well planned "user-friendly" and humane place to live in, a safe and healthy environment, and public services which help sustain all these elements.