The triad of social sustainability: Defining and measuring social sustainability of urban neighbourhoods

Shirazi, M. Reza; Keivani, Ramin

doi:10.1080/17535069.2018.1469039

Cited by 57 publications

(62 citation statements)

References 89 publications

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“…The concept of (urban) social sustainability is known as a complex and "wicked" problem [14,33,[58][59][60]. The concept is quite diffuse, with multiple existing definitions, interpretations and characteristics in theory, policy and practice [19][20][21][22][23][24][25].…”

Section: Urban Social Sustainabilitymentioning

confidence: 99%

Urban Planning as a Strategy to Implement Social Sustainability Policy Goals? The Case of Temporary Housing for Immigrants in Gothenburg, Sweden

Stepanova

Romanov

2021

Sustainability

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Planning is one of the envisioned strategies for reaching policy goals of urban social sustainability. However, the practical realization of this vision faces a number of challenges not least due to conflicts of interests and goals that arise in the planning process. There also seems to be a lack of understanding of the relationship between formal planning and social sustainability goals that are often normative and visionary. In order to bridge this knowledge gap, this paper investigates how urban social sustainability can be implemented in urban planning in the context of conflicts of interests and goals. In particular, we explore two questions: (i) whether and how planning procedures are interconnected with local policy goals for social sustainability; (ii) whether and how conflict affects the implementation of these goals through planning. The paper presents a qualitative case study of planning of temporary housing for immigrants in Gothenburg, Sweden, where a conflict of interests developed in conjunction with the planning. The local social sustainability goals are operationalized through the specific sub-goals of accessible and more equal living conditions, distribution of and equal access to housing for all groups in the community, and reduced social and ethnic segregation and discrimination in regard to housing. We identify shortcomings in the integration of local urban social sustainability goals into planning procedures and find that conflicts of interests as well as conflicts of priorities within and between the policy goals complicate their integration into formal planning procedures. More attention needs to be given to improved operationalization of the questions of priority and conflict resolution, both in planning and in urban social sustainability policy, if planning is to be considered a viable strategy for implementation of social sustainability goals.

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Section: Urban Social Sustainabilitymentioning

confidence: 99%

Urban Planning as a Strategy to Implement Social Sustainability Policy Goals? The Case of Temporary Housing for Immigrants in Gothenburg, Sweden

Stepanova

Romanov

2021

Sustainability

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“…As can be seen in Table A1, while traditionally the focus of social sustainability studies has been more on the macro scales (city and region), more recently the focus has been shifted towards micro scales (neighbourhood and community) (e.g. Hemani, Das, and Chowdhury 2017;Shirazi and Keivani 2018). Furthermore, there has been a transition from traditional "hard" measures of social sustainability (such as employment and poverty reduction) to more intangible and "soft" measures (such as social participation, and sense of place) (Colantonio 2016).…”

Section: Urban Social Sustainability: Definition and Conceptualisationmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Second, the issue of urban social sustainability at the neighbourhood scale has received scant treatment in the literature (Hemani, Das, and Chowdhury 2017;Shirazi and Keivani 2018) hence, revealing a pressing need for more empirical investigations on this topic.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Urban social sustainability at the neighbourhood scale: measurement and the impact of physical and personal factors

et al. 2020

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Despite its theoretical and practical significance, urban social sustainability research lacks robust definition, conceptualisation and measurement. In addition, the factors influencing people's perceived feelings about their neighbourhood are underexplored. The aim of this study is twofold: First, to develop and empirically test the urban social sustainability (USS) measurement model at the neighbourhood scale that captures the multifaceted nature of this complex phenomenon. Second, to use the proposed USS model to examine the role of different physical (urban form) and personal (socio-economic) factors in promoting or weakening various aspects of neighbourhood social sustainability. We conducted factor analysis for testing the dimensionality, validity, and reliability of the USS model. Multiple regression analysis was also used to test the practical implications of the model. Our findings from 251 respondents in five case study neighbourhoods of Dunedin city, New Zealand, provide evidence that the effects of physical and personal factors can differ according to distinct USS dimensions. We found that out of the four physical factors, quality of urban design is the most influential factor, having a significant positive influence on three USS dimensions and the overall urban social sustainability. Among the personal factors, length of residence in a neighbourhood has the most influence on different USS dimensions.

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“…Conceptual definitions of social sustainability. (McKenzie, 2004) as a positive condition within communities, and a process within communities that can achieve that condition (Gressgård, 2015) as a way to mobilize people under a future vision (Boström, 2012) as a frame that can assists in discussions about social policies, rather than a concept with a ready-to-use definition (Missimer, Robèrt, & Broman, 2016) as the lack of hindrances in society for health, influence, competence, impartiality and meaning-making (Chiu, 2003) as the social conditions necessary to support environmental sustainability (Chiu, 2003) as the maintenance of social structures during activities for social change (Chiu, 2003) as the maintenance and improvement of the well-being of people in this and future generations (Boström, 2012;Bramley et al, 2006;Chiu, 2003;Dempsey et al, 2012;Dixon & Woodcraft, 2013;Eizenberg & Jabareen, 2017;McKenzie, 2004;Polèse & Stren, 2000;Rashidfarokhi et al, 2018;Shirazi & Keivani, 2019;Vallance et al, 2009)…”

Section: Social Sustainability: An Ambiguous Concept With Various Dimmentioning

confidence: 99%

Implementing social sustainability in area development projects in the Netherlands

Janssen

Daamen

Verdaas

2020

plaNext

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During recent decades, urbanization processes and changing population compositions in European cities have underlined the relevance of social sustainability for urban development. Despite a growing amount of research on the social sphere of sustainability, the actual implementation of social sustainability in area development projects remains problematic. In the Netherlands, as in most other European countries, area development is understood as an interdisciplinary practice that strives to integrate strategies, activities and interests of public and private actors into perceived sustainable projects. If area development projects are considered as acts of policy implementation, two questions rise: 1) How are social sustainability dimensions planned, operationalized and implemented through area development projects? and 2) How are they related to governance configurations and mechanisms that relate to decision-making and interventions in these area development projects? The main aim of this paper is to construct a theoretically informed analytical approach to be further developed and applied in PhD research about the implementation of perceived "social sustainability" in area development projects in the Netherlands. We conclude that the implementation of social sustainability in area development projects is a governance process that requires political interventions in a market-driven society and hypothesize that the outcomes of social sustainability in area development are dependent on various aspects of this governance process.

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The triad of social sustainability: Defining and measuring social sustainability of urban neighbourhoods

Cited by 57 publications

References 89 publications

Urban Planning as a Strategy to Implement Social Sustainability Policy Goals? The Case of Temporary Housing for Immigrants in Gothenburg, Sweden

Urban Planning as a Strategy to Implement Social Sustainability Policy Goals? The Case of Temporary Housing for Immigrants in Gothenburg, Sweden

Urban social sustainability at the neighbourhood scale: measurement and the impact of physical and personal factors

Implementing social sustainability in area development projects in the Netherlands

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