Abstract

This paper introduces the special issue on the definition and measurement of regional and urban well-being. This special issue contributes to the existing literature in two ways. First, it provides original studies on the variation of well-being across regions and cities, highlighting the multi-faceted relationship between objective and subjective measurements of well-being. Second, it reviews the state of the art in the measurement of the different dimensions of well-being at the subnational level, presenting both the contribution made by some of the major statistical institutes and the potential represented by big data.