Built environment constraints on well-being in resource-based cities

Source abstract

Natural resources have long supported economic development, yet cities dependent on resource extraction often face persistent challenges in urban livability. While literature has largely focused on macroeconomic outcomes, less attention has been paid to residents’ everyday experiences and the environmental pathways through which resource dependence shapes well-being. This study examines how resource dependence is associated with subjective well-being through residents’ perceptions of the built environment in resource-based cities (RBCs). Using a large-scale national survey dataset from China, we apply an XGBoost–SHAP framework to identify built-environment predictors of happiness in RBCs and non-RBCs. The results reveal a clear divergence between economic performance and well-being. At the micro level, happiness in RBCs is more strongly associated with basic environmental conditions—particularly safety, infrastructure reliability, and environmental risks—than with consumption-oriented amenities. Heterogeneity analyses further show that this pattern is consistent across social groups but places disproportionate constraints on vulnerable populations, including low-income residents, migrants, and older adults. By foregrounding the built environment as a key mediating pathway, this study shifts attention from production-oriented development to the environmental conditions of everyday urban life, offering a more grounded perspective on the well-being implications of resource dependence and informing policy efforts aimed at improving livability in resource-dependent cities.