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To this end, sustainability has progressively become a core principle and prerequisite in the urban planning and development. The application of sustainability and/or its principal expression is being threatened by neighbourhoods' inequality such as segregation in land use and varying levels of income in developing countries. From sustainable development perspective and strictly linked to spatial contexts, this reflects inadequate urban planning as these spatial and socio-economic inequalities translate to fragmented spatial systems, unsustainable urban form and low quality of life. The analysis of these variables depicts that between the rich neighbourhoods and poor neighbourhoods very little space is afforded for connectivity and integration, local facilities, environmental quality and spatial components which are themselves pillars of sustainable urban form and desired quality of life are not preferentially factored into poor neighbourhoods. Thus, bringing multiple and multifaceted adverse impacts on poor people such as living in the unsafe and unhealthy areas. In essence, locally provided community facilities, infrastructure and services are mechanisms of spatial transformation and integration thus promote social and economic development. When drawing up social services to act as the basis from which sustainability in urban areas could be determined -central contention is that urban sustainability cannot be achieved without adequate social facilities that are differentiated by neighbourhoods varying development densities, community size, mobility levels and socio-economic variations. As a result, this research paper evaluates the sustainability level of low-income neighbourhood living spaces which urban system requires in order to achieve urban sustainability. Evaluating neighbourhood sustainability requires a modelling and integrated approach that bring forward all aspects of urban development and quality of life. The Successful Neighbourhood Model (SNM) developed as the comprehensive sustainability assessment tool for low income neighbourhoods in pursuit of neighbourhood sustainability in South Africa is used. The application of SNM procedure embrace metric benchmarking methodology and this quantitative nature of sustainability assessment is employed to conclude and recommend timely integration of new urban sustainability issues in the planning policies, strategies and instruments. SNM has demonstrated that it is possible to identify barriers that hinder poor neigbourhoods to be sustainable and presents possibilities of aiding urban policy decisions regarding sustainability.

There exists a challenge in achieving equity within urban areas-urban neighbourhoods' spatial and socioeconomic inequalities remain considerably ambiguous in regard to urban form and quality of life. A point of departure in urban planning and development is sustainable development, as it has emerged as the principal expression and application of sustainability. It asserts its importance as the main topic of many international conferences. Notably, urban (spatial) planning and sustainable development dimensions need to dovetail their sustainability efforts for the transformation and integration of urban areas. In the interest of quality of life and urban form, from the technical assessment perspective, urban developments, (service) delivery strategies and accessibility generate parallel socioeconomic benefits, enabling households and communities to improve their quality of living, and they are further linked to spatial planning processes. Spatial planning requires that sustainable modes of living, social services and economic opportunities be provided spatially in a manner that is rationally based on people's needs and the access distance norms and standards. From this spatial planning perspective, the importance of adopting a measuring system is highlighted-it is difficult to achieve sustainable urban development without determining the degree of sustainability initiatives and/or sustainable modes of living. On this basis, this paper aims to use a model approved for evaluating low-income neighbourhoods' sustainability in South Africa (Successful Neighbourhood Model (SNM)) to integrate strategies and to build the information and knowledge base from which the trajectories of different types of neighbourhoods can be assessed for quality of life. Thus, neighbourhood sustainability indicators are used as the main framework for the analysis in this study, and as a way of implementing SNM. The paper concludes by outlining the potential implementation opportunities/solutions that SNM can offer to achieve desired/satisfactory quality of life and to deliver support to capacitate local and national governments in the development and implementation of urban strategies and policies.

The concept of a sustainable city, it seems, forms a very complex entity with many interactive components, tenant in the integrative perspective and its futuristic scope, before it can be termed to be sustainable. This being the case, how does the planning system bring the community involvement to address the challenges faced by the contemporary city? Thus, this paper analyses the present practices underlying urban development in central and the capacitation of community; to understand the activities underpinning this reality and its operating environment: assess like the threats and opportunities involved from a scientific, philosophical and political point of view. Spatial planning is in nature (and will always be) politically sensitive. With community development in South Africa, desires and expectations are focused on the present reality: they want jobs, homes and socioeconomic security and access. The research conducted in Matlosana Municipality in RSA recognised this interface and the need for interdisciplinary approach at the local level. The focus of the paper will be to establish the point at which a range of different kinds of question collide and require simultaneous solutions; and in which issues of power [governance] and community needs [involvement] can result into interdisciplinarity. This is considered the main pathway to resolve community issues and thus support towards enhancing the sustainable city principle in terms of an incremental approach towards revitalization of neighbourhoods urban integration and thus sustainability.

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