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Sustainable development is a widely used term, which has been discussed thoroughly at environmental, economic and social levels. While prior researches were dominated initially by environmental issues and economic aspects, social dimension had less chance of study. Therefore, the goal of this study is to understand the physical and non-physical aspects of social sustainability and to assess its application in housing developments. In this research, a mixed method approach was used to assess social sustainability in different typologies of housing development. Two residential compounds and its surroundings were investigated. Morphological analysis for the research setting was conducted along with statistical analysis for the collected data from households. As a result, there was a salient difference between compound and its surroundings. This can be seen clearly in the case of serious trial to improve social sustainability represented by providing vital open spaces associated with a well-designed facility. This helps to create various forms of social interaction and boosts a sense of belonging which will affect positively on social sustainability. Meanwhile, poor design creates negative energy due to the absence of social sustainability parameters. So, there is a need to consider the role of social infrastructure in designing and planning residential development.

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PurposeThe fundamental lifestyle changes, economic concerns, property price increase and construction cost can explain the transformation of traditional housing layouts to massive indoor planes by prioritizing indoor over outdoor spaces. That is, overlooking the effect of outdoor spaces, on life quality, to compensate for indoor spaces expansion. As a result, this study highlighted outdoor spaces and their impact on psychological wellbeing, especially through the enforcement of quarantine conditions and social distance.Design/methodology/approachTo achieve that, a spatial analysis for (70) apartments, in Amman, was undertaken to understand outdoor space in terms of spatial configuration, size, adjacent spaces and usage. An assessment for outdoor space based on both users' and professionals' perspectives to discuss the current situation condition in terms of physical layout, activities, area, spaces' treatment and associated incentives. (125) responses were collected from the head of household living in an apartment through using a structured questionnaire. In addition, feedback in terms of dynamics home components, home buyers' market trends and local regulations were collected from (22) professionals.FindingsStudy results have shown that apartments' buildings in Amman are deficient, quantitatively and qualitatively, in both apartments with outdoor spaces in general and units on typical floors without outdoor space in specific. While, quantitative deficiency is associated with the poor layout in terms of area, functionality and variety. Qualitative is related to the absence of nature inspiration that incorporates five senses. As a result, this underlines the need for formulation design guidelines and strategies considering psychological wellbeing to improve outdoor spaces as a hub for activities.Originality/valueHighlight the value of introducing post-pandemic multi-family housing that could lead to changes in building codes and design strategies to enhance psychological wellbeing of residents.

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There is a growing interest in gated communities as residential developments for upper-middle-income residents in Amman, Jordan, but limited research has been conducted on this subject. Additionally, no clear codes or strategies exist to regulate these communities. Social sustainability has been recognized as a fundamental component of sustainability and residential communities since it concerns individuals’ interactions and livable communities. This can be determined through five indicators: personal relationships, social network support, civic engagement, levels of safety, and shared values and norms. Therefore, this research investigates the impact of these indicators on one’s social life in different typologies of residential development. This exploration involved a mixed-method approach that began with a spatial analysis of selected gated communities, a conventional community, and a survey of households. Subsequently, the results revealed that the mega gated communities were the best in terms of social sustainability in personal relationships, social networks, and civic engagement. These facts may relate to the availability of public spaces and facilities, which are either missing or limited in other developments. Such amenities are integral components of social infrastructure and involve diverse activities, necessitating design guidelines for residential development considering social sustainability.

The effect of global economic crises has greatly impacted housing market, in particularly affordable housing which suffered dramatically. Poor environmental quality, higher resident’s health complications, and larger maintenance and operation bill have all been noticed as major common outcomes of such an impact. As a result, the idea of Affordable Sustainable Housing Neighborhoods (ASHN) was reformed to consider healthier lifestyle, better environmental surrounding, and higher cost efficiency. In this work research, an assessment of cost efficiency will be performed on these neighborhoods, in terms of shelter, utility, and transportation for better understanding and recommendations. This study will be based on both supply-side stakeholders and demand-side feedbacks. As a result of this study work, a salient discrepancy was found between supply-side and demand-side stakeholders in term of ASHN’s efficiency. That is, ASHN’s efficiency did not meet resident's expectations and therefore, a comprehensive assessment methodology is necessary to involve third party for cross validation purposes and facilitate interpretation of research results

Brownfield regeneration has a positive impact on the quality of life in several dimensions, which enhances the livability and vitality of a city. On the contrary, Amman suffered from intensification of abandoned, derelict sites in the city center, along with severe deficiencies in terms of database and regeneration policy. Therefore, this research study aims to develop a flexible strategy for brownfield regeneration to encourage efforts toward implementation. This initially started by exploring all the brownfield sites in Amman in general and then those located in dynamic, vibrant locations in specific. Four case studies were selected, which included abandoned buildings within an urban setting. Spatial analysis was performed on case studies, including basic descriptive analysis, contextual analysis, and strength, weakness, opportunities, and threats analysis, which helped recognize the opportunities and challenges associated with different sites. The strategies were discussed further by several experts through the Delphi technique, where data were collected from relevant stakeholders to highlight the brownfield regeneration terminology in terms of definition, familiarity, opportunities and risks, governmental role, and policy availability, along with recommendations to improve the practice. Finally, several strategies were developed on the basis of collaboration between stakeholders. These strategies are hard to be generalized to all sites in different regions, as each one has specific issues that need to be considered. Therefore, further studies need to be conducted to validate the results of this study, foster the implementation of brownfield regeneration, and promote sustainable development by reducing urban sprawl and encouraging compactness.