What makes a place liveable? An arts-based research conceptualisation of liveability

Fostering liveable environments is a central goal of contemporary city-making, yet existing research often focuses on infrastructure and standardised indicators, neglecting the subjective, relational, and affective dimensions of how residents experience urban life. This study addresses this gap by developing a conceptual framework of urban liveability grounded in the lived and negotiated experiences of residents in two Aotearoa New Zealand cities, Wellington and Hamilton. Using an arts-based collage method, participants from diverse socio-demographic, cultural, and geographical backgrounds visually shared their experiences of the city, revealing emotional attachments, social connections, and everyday negotiations with place. This approach surfaced dimensions of liveability rarely captured by conventional metrics, including essential connections between people, place and nature, the negotiation between ideals and lived realities, plural experiences across identities and life stages, and care at the community level. Findings show that liveability is shaped through ongoing processes of connectedness, cultural recognition, participation, and everyday practices, highlighting its relational and place-based orientation. Residents' experiences emphasise that urban environments are not static, but continually co-created through social, emotional, and spatial interactions. By developing a conceptual framework that foregrounds lived, affective, and relational dimensions, this study advances urban studies debates by reframing liveability as a negotiated process rather than a fixed outcome, extending understandings beyond technocratic measures. It provides insights for planners and policymakers seeking to create cities that reflect the realities, values, and aspirations of their communities. • This study adopts an arts-based, participatory approach to conceptualising liveability • This work conceptualises liveability centred on People-Place-Nature connectedness • Based on empirical evidence from case studies, liveability emerges as a social construct • Liveability emerges as a negotiation and collective process of ongoing practices