Urban Quality of Life in Santa Fe Province : Demographic, Social and Territorial Processes Between 1991 and 2010

Abstract

The goal of this study is to analyze the changes at the levels of urban quality of life in Santa Fe Province (Argentina) between the years 1991 and 2010. This inquiry adopts as interpretative framework the so-called developing stages or developing strategies, which have been used to distinguish periods of the different political and economic moments of the Argentina. First, this approach allows the construction of objective and clear indices of life quality sustained in a multidimensional view of the material conditions of life in urban populations. In this sense, indicators related to education, health policy, building and habitat are adopted for each of the 51 municipal areas of the province. Second, this study analyzes the degree of correspondence between urban quality of life and demographic growth is analyzed according to its components, in order to identify the possible existence of a relationship between life quality levels and dynamic and population mobility. Data sources are the National Census of Population, Households and Housing belonging to 1991, 2001 and 2010 carried on by Statistics and Census National Institute, and the Bureau Bulletin of Vital Statistics from the Provincial Ministry of Health (annual series 1991–2010). The results show that the quality of life index (QLX) improved between 1991 and 2010. During those 19 years, the highest level of improvement happened in the last decade. Each of these dimensions considered experienced different degrees of progress. From the territorial standpoint, the municipal areas in the Central and South regions of the province are the ones that have met the highest conditions related to quality of life. Meanwhile, the greatest leap in progress came about in municipal areas that are within middle categories of life quality (within quartiles 2 and 3). In terms of QLX and demographic dynamics, the results show that in the last decade, the municipal areas with highest QLX have shown a trend of a higher population growth.