The influence of perceived dimensions of sustainability on life satisfaction and citizen engagement in developing countries

This study examines how citizens' perceptions of key urban sustainability dimensions relate to their well-being and civic engagement. We focus on mid-sized industrial cities in southern Brazil, a context that remains underrepresented in the urban sustainability literature, to address a gap in Global South evidence. The analysis is based on a quantitative, cross-sectional survey applying the CityLifeSat scale to 1228 residents in two municipalities. Perceived sustainability was operationalized through multiple latent constructs aligned with the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and with indicators from ISO 37120:2017, including safety, recreation, walkability, mobility, primary services, place attachment, and health and well-being. We estimated a Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Model (PLS-SEM) to test the relationships among these constructs and civic engagement. The results show that citizens' perceptions of safety and place attachment are positively associated with civic engagement, indicating that feeling secure and emotionally connected to the city supports participation in local decision-making. Health and well-being are significantly and positively influenced by perceptions of safety, recreation, and primary services, demonstrating that everyday conditions—protection, access to services, and opportunities for leisure—are central to perceived urban sustainability. At the same time, lower levels of health and well-being are associated with higher levels of civic engagement, suggesting that dissatisfaction with urban conditions can motivate political participation and demands for accountability. These findings advance existing debates by empirically linking perceived sustainability, subjective well-being, and civic engagement in a Global South setting, and by showing that civic engagement is driven both by positive attachment and by dissatisfaction. The study contributes methodologically by validating the CityLifeSat model through PLS-SEM and confirming the reliability of most constructs derived from SDG- and ISO-based indicators. Practically, the results provide city managers with an evidence-based framework to prioritize investments in safety, essential services, and inclusive public spaces as levers to promote both well-being and participatory urban governance.