Livability of Vertical Apartments: A Study of the Relationship between Environmental Psychological Satisfaction and Height of Living with Special Reference to Low Income Apartments

Abstract

This study investigates the liveability of low income vertical apartments in Colombo, by means of finding the relationship between environmental psychological satisfaction and height of living. The main objective of this study is to find out to what extent the environmental psychological satisfaction correlates with the height of living of the low-income apartments. A total of 144 individuals (36 from each apartment and 3 from each floor level) from different age groups were employed as participants among the residents of four selected low income apartments located in Colombo. The primary data were collected using a structured questionnaire and the secondary data were collected by using layouts, floor plans and photographs of the apartment buildings. A Stratified random sampling method was used to select the participants. Safety, friendship and relationship with neighbours, basic residential infrastructure, attachment of residential area, open natural spaces, privacy, personal spaces and territoriality are the determinants that were used as the basis of the questionnaire. The primary data were analysed by using SPSS (Statistical package for Social Science) and the study employed estimation methods of OLS (Ordinary Least Square) estimation. As the final outcome, the level of environmental psychological satisfaction was identified in relation to the height of living and the aspects of design response were emphasized and impacted on it.