Urban Leftover Spaces and Measured Subjective Well-Being of Adjacent Residential Communities

This study addresses the absence of an adequate framework for assessing how urban leftover railway spaces influence the subjective well-being of adjacent residential communities. An analytical framework was developed by integrating theories of Urban Decay, Terrain Vague, and Social Disorganization. The research conceptualized six key dimensions related to the impacts of urban leftover spaces and seven subjective well-being domains. A mixed-methods approach was employed, combining spatial observations with a pilot-level survey of fifty residents selected from adjacent residential communities in Ratmalana. Data were collected using an author-designed questionnaire alongside the Personal Well-Being Index for adults, adapted to the local socio-spatial context. Results indicate that visual blight was the most significant factor of dissatisfaction associated with urban leftover spaces, while future security recorded the lowest well-being score among all domains. The overall well-being level of the community was classified as “challenged”, with a total score of 36%. The findings demonstrate the potential of the proposed framework as a preliminary assessment tool for quantifying the impacts of urban leftover spaces. The study provides an initial evidence base for understanding the relationship between railway-related urban leftover spaces and community well-being, offering a foundation for future comparative and longitudinal research across diverse urban contexts.