Engajamento do cidadão e a sustentabilidade : um modelo baseado na qualidade de vida percebida e nas dimensões do desenvolvimento sustentável em cidades

Abstract

The growing concern for the sustainability of the planet led the United Nations to establish the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), which recommend that all countries in the world comply with them by 2030 as a way of ensuring sustainability for future generations. In the context of cities, the implementation of sustainability goals is a necessary approach that should consider the opinions of citizens, who are the consumers of the city's products and services. This thesis develops a model of civic engagement based on citizens' perceptions of the attributes and respective significant dimensions of sustainability in cities, as defined in the SDGs and NBR ISO 37120:2017. The research has a quantitative and descriptive approach, starting with a survey of citizens from two cities in the Serra Gaucha region. The data were analysed using Structural Equation Modeling statistics. The literature review identified eleven dimensions perceived as significant related to SDGs and NBR ISO 37120:2017 indicators, which were used to understand and evaluate the impacts on life satisfaction and civic engagement in the context of sustainable cities, namely: health/well-being, safety, recreation, mobility, basic services, walkability, environment, social integration, housing, sense of belonging, and governance. After confirmatory factor analysis, eleven dimensions were perceived as significant. The study demonstrated the validity of the theoretical model of civic engagement in the context of sustainable cities, and its results showed that citizens' civic engagement has a significant positive direct and indirect impact on safety and sense of belonging dimensions. Life satisfaction in cities demonstrated the impact of the recreation, safety, and primary services dimensions. The model of this study highlights the challenges and opportunities generated by the growth of cities and helps prioritize sustainable development in cities. The research allows for a deeper understanding of civic engagement in the context of sustainability in cities, to help define more efficient strategies, goals, and operations that support the decision-making process of public and private managers towards sustainability. It allows public and private managers to identify those sustainability dimensions perceived by citizens, thus guiding decision-making, and contributing to the creation of sustainable strategies capable of meeting the present and future needs of the population. [resumo fornecido pelo autor]