Handbook of Community Well-Being Research: 2016 (International Handbooks of

This Handbook brings together foundational and leading-edge research exploring dimensions of improving quality of life in communities of place. Social indicators and other assessment techniques will be explored, including from the framework of community perspectives which is concerned with enhancing quality of life for community members. As part of this trans-disciplinary work, participation, engagement, and empowerment will be key concepts presented. Along with capacity building and service provision, these elements influence community well-being and will be considered along with subjective and objective assessment approaches. Researchers from around the globe share their work on this important topic of community well-being, bringing together a diverse array of disciplinary perspectives. Those working in the areas of public policy, community development, community and social psychology, urban and regional planning, and sustainable development will find this volume particularly useful for the array of approaches presented.

Rhonda Phillips' research and outreach efforts focus on quality of life and well-being related to community and economic development. At Purdue, she serves as Dean of the Honors College, and a Professor in the Agricultural Economics Department. Rhonda is author or editor of 20 books, including Sustainable Communities, Creating a Durable Local Economy; Community Development Indicators Measuring Systems; and Introduction to Community Development. She is editor of the series Community Quality of Life and Well-Being. Formerly a Senior Sustainability Scientist with the Global Institute of Sustainability, Rhonda served as director and professor in the School of Community Resources and Development at Arizona State University, and founding director of the University of Florida's Center for Building Better Communities. She is a member of the College of Fellows of the American Institute of Certified Planners (FAICP). She is currently President of the International Society for Quality-of-Life Studies and a co-researcher with the Community Wellbeing Institute, a Social Science Korea Project. Cecilia Wong is Professor of Spatial Planning and Director of Centre for Urban Policy Studies at the University of Manchester. She is a Fellow of the UK Academy of Social Sciences, Co-Editor of Town Planning Review, and Member of the UK Economic and Social Research Council's Grant Assessment Panel. She is a chartered town planner and received degrees from the Chinese University of Hong Kong, the University of Liverpool and the University of Manchester. Her research interests include quantitative indicators, spatial policy monitoring and analysis, urban and regional development, and housing and infrastructure planning. She has conducted major research projects for the UK central government departments, Economic and Social Research Council, Joseph Rowntree Foundation, Royal Town Planning Institute, and regional and local bodies. She was a commissioner of the UK Labour Party's Lyons Housing Review and expert panel members of Department for Community and Local Government's planning and housing panel, the European Commission's Urban Audit II and the UN-Habitat City Prosperity Index (Middle East).