Improving Socially Sustainable Design and Construction in Developing Countries

Pocock, James B.; Steckler, Carey; Hanzalova, Barbora

doi:10.1016/j.proeng.2016.04.076

Cited by 38 publications

(25 citation statements)

References 6 publications

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“…Intelligence Unit in 2019 highlights that infrastructure lies at the center of the UN 2030 Agenda because it requires building the right types of projects to reduce environmental impacts as well as to create the needed social, economic and cultural development [33,60]. Pocock et al highlight that these developments require transformations in the design, construction, management and funding processes of projects to ensure that they are within the capacity of local communities and in line with the local culture [60].…”

Section: Background Construction Real Estate and Sustainabilitymentioning

confidence: 99%

On the Role of Construction in Achieving the SDGs

Goubran¹

2019

J Sustain Res

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Construction and real estate have been central to the debates on sustainable development. However, the dominant definition of sustainability in construction and real estate remain centred on the environmental dimension. The 2030 Agenda and its Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) offer new opportunities for the building sector to expand its focus. The available literature utilizes the existing green ratings, sustainability assessment tools and standards as the basis for investigating how construction and buildings can contribute to the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. However, less focus was placed on exploring the broad intersection between the building sector, on the one hand, and the SDGs and their targets on the other. This paper uses a multistep methodology to analyze the potential role of construction and real estate in the 2030 Agenda. The paper identifies SDG targets that depend (directly or indirectly) on construction and real estate activities, and reveals that 17% of the SDG targets are directly dependent and 27% of the targets are indirectly dependent on these sectors' activities. The identified targets are analyzed and are found to be related to all 17 goals-with the largest contributions to SDGs 11, 6, and 7. The results of the analysis are mapped and illustrated in order to provide insights to academics, practitioners and governments. This research contributes to the literature on the implementation of the 2030 Agenda. It also exposes the synergistic possibilities, and the partnerships required, to make use of the potential role of construction and real estate in the implementation of the UN Agenda.

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Section: Background Construction Real Estate and Sustainabilitymentioning

confidence: 99%

On the Role of Construction in Achieving the SDGs

Goubran¹

2019

J Sustain Res

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“…Though the social contribution of an infrastructure project depends strongly on its interaction with the contextual conditions (Sierra et al, 2018a), authors such as Pocock et al (2016), Popovic et al (2018), andUNEP (2009) have highlighted that, in the construction industry, the main benefits associated with the implementation of social sustainability are based on improving the quality of human life, increasing transparency, implementing skill training, and seeking intergenerational equity, fair distribution of construction social costs and capacity enhancement of the disadvantaged. These social benefits can be intangible to developers; however, community experts highlight that they are as important as the economic and environmental benefits (Valdes-Vasquez and Klotz, 2013).…”

Section: Literature Reviewmentioning

confidence: 99%

Social sustainability criteria in public-work procurement: An international perspective

Montalbán-Domingo

García-Segura

Sanz

et al. 2018

Journal of Cleaner Production

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Scientific literature highlights the need to engage social sustainability more effectively in the construction industry through public procurement. Previous contributions have been focused on establishing strategies and defining guides to encourage and facilitate the inclusion of social criteria in public procurement. However, to reach effective results, the characterization of the current scenario needs to be clarified. With this aim, this research analyzes 451 tendering documents from 10 countries in terms of social sustainability. Three research questions are stated to characterize what the current main social criteria are, how these are defined, and what the differences and similarities are with respect to the inclusion of social criteria in tendering procedures at the international level. To analyze tendering documents, a quantitative content analysis that combines inductive and deductive approaches is developed. Descriptive statistics and statistical analysis based on correspondence analysis and the chi-square contingency table analysis are performed. The results show a lack of metrics to assess social sustainability objectively, the predominance of health and safety as the main social criteria that are included in public procurement, and the importance of the contract size in the number of social categories considered in procurement procedures. However, the main result of this research is focused on showing the important role that the variable "country" plays when the behavior regarding the inclusion of social sustainability is compared at the international level since significant differences are found between Anglo-Saxon and Spanish-speaking countries. Policies should be implemented to promote the use of social criteria and metrics in the award of projects and in the evaluation and monitoring of social performance in the construction industry.

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“…Social items are associated with the user health, safety, and comfort components [30], well-being (thermal, visual and acoustic comfort, ventilation and safety), functionality (accessibility for people with disabilities, functional adaptability, and ease of maintenance), and protection (against fire, noise or earthquakes) [31], with very few points related to the community and other disadvantaged people. In 2018, LEED launched a Project Team Checklist for Social Impact [32] containing three categories: People and Participation, Community and Place, and Values in Action, and assigned pilot credits related to social equity; however, none of the existing evaluation systems fully develops the social sustainability, especially in developing countries [33].…”

Section: Social and Economic Sustainability And Assessment Systemsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Social Sustainability in the Planning, Design, and Construction in Developing Countries: Guidelines and Feasibility for México

Novelo¹,

Romero²,

Suárez³

et al. 2021

cea

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Sustainability is based on three pillars: social, economic, and environmental. However, the main systems of evaluation of the sustainable building, such as Building Research Establishment Assessment Method (BREEAM) and Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED), have a strong burden towards the environmental aspect, neglecting the social and economic, and underestimating the effects of the building projects on reducing poverty and inequity. The purpose of this research was to identify socioeconomic criteria for the reality of developing countries, specifically México, and systematize them in a conceptual framework for the stages of planning, design, and construction of buildings with a focus on Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and human rights. Through semi-structured interviews with experts and surveys, 12 criteria were identified and ranked for the planning stage, 19 for the design stage, and 15 for the construction stage, being especially relevant the contribution to the Sustainable cities and communities (SDG11), Decent work and economic growth (SDG8) and Reduced inequalities (SDG10) goals. It was found that projects considered sustainable were required to have clear policies on the issues of labor rights, social inclusion, zero tolerance for corruption, gender perspective, and prevention of damage to community environmental assets. The criteria identified contribute to the knowledge of social and economic sustainability in developing countries and aim to make those involved aware of the significance of their decisions in the different stages of the life cycle of construction projects.

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Improving Socially Sustainable Design and Construction in Developing Countries

Cited by 38 publications

References 6 publications

On the Role of Construction in Achieving the SDGs

On the Role of Construction in Achieving the SDGs

Social sustainability criteria in public-work procurement: An international perspective

Social Sustainability in the Planning, Design, and Construction in Developing Countries: Guidelines and Feasibility for México

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