Matching a community assessment tool to the requirements of practice

Abstract

Over the last two decades, performance-based metrics have been applied in master planning as a means to estimate the impacts of large-scale development on the local and global environment. Community sustainability assessment has developed to provide a practical method for assessing the performance of a spatial master plan against an array of sustainability indicators. This paper considers the adequacy of such a tool to provide reliable information when and as required for decision-making in the planning process. It reviews Breeam (building research establishment environmental assessment method) Communities 2012 specifically examining whether this tool provides an analysis which is strategic, comprehensive and integrated. Breeam 2012 is found to be adequately comprehensive in the current operational context of the British planning system. The sustainability assessment model can usefully inform decision-making at the strategic 'stage gates' of master planning. However, the analytical methodology of the assessment model is inherently fractional. This complicates how a 'balanced' evaluation of the relative importance of sustainability issues is reached and agreed. It is suggested that a project culture of trans-disciplinary dialogue and explorative learning is required to promote the understanding and use of sustainability assessment practice in master planning.

A review of selected neighbourhood sustainability assessment frameworks using the Bellagio STAMP

“…Sustainability assessment according to Pope et al (2004), Cashmore and Kornov (2013) and Sala et al (2015) is traceable to both Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) and the Strategic Environmental Assessment (SEA). It helps to identify, predict and evaluate the likely impacts and consequences of wide range of initiatives and alternatives on sustainable development (Devuyst, 2000; AlWaer and Kirk, 2016). Sustainability assessment has attracted appreciable interest and acceptance through its usage, most especially its application for decision making at the neighbourhood level.…”

Experts on Resistance to Reorganization of Structure and Technologies of Urban Mobility Provision in Russia: Challenges, Reasons, Solutions and Prospects

“…Ameen et al [41] pointed out that the change of technologies of energy supply in urban transport was going hard despite the requirements of ecological safety. H. Alwaer et al [42] wrote that citizens' relation to the choice of mobility approach is incorrect and incompetent from the view of city's benefits. V. Cappuyns [43] reminded about the importance of consideration of social practice in the process of making management decisions.…”

Global South research priorities for neighbourhood sustainability assessment tools

“…Another challenging problem which arises is that many sustainable city metrics and indicators were established from a top-down approach using data from European and North American cities, such indicators are said to have emerged incrementally without a formal framework or consensus on what constitutes urban sustainability, and many of the employed metrics are based on policymakers’ predetermined objectives, following concerns that now impact the community (AlWaer and Kirk, 2015; Cole, 1999; Malek and Grierson, 2016). Hence, they may not adequately account for the enormous differences in per-capita consumption levels between the North and South, as well as within the North where they were established initially (Nagendra et al ., 2018; Dawodu et al ., 2019).…”