Liveability describes a community's ability to provide and sustain a quality of life for all of its inhabitants.

"Liveability is a local concept... to be shaped and molded to fit an intensely local vision." - Earl Blumenauer

The idea of a "livable" community encompasses things many of us take for granted.  This includes areas for community activities, clean roads and sufficient neighborhood lighting. Through citizen participation, communities can establish a sense of urban identity and develop their own ideas of community.

Liveability evolves out of a wealth of existing resources and conditions that promote healthy living, such as clean air, water and soil. Good schools, convenient shopping, safe community spaces and secure infrastructure all play an important role in making a community a success and relate to what makes a community livable.

Programs aimed at creating more livable communities push the idea of economy and conservation. By saving resources, more funding can be used for neighborhood beautification and safety programs. Environment-friendly ideas such as mass transit and bike and pedestrian paths make a community more attractive to a prospective buyer. This, in turn, raises property values to benefit the entire community. 

(Liveability in Alta Sita)