IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/gam/jsusta/v13y2020i1p142-d468280.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Assessing Social Sustainability for Achieving Sustainable Architecture

Author

Listed:
  • Isabella M. Lami

    (Department of Regional & Urban Studies and Planning (DIST), Politecnico di Torino, 10125 Torino, Italy)

  • Beatrice Mecca

    (Department of Regional & Urban Studies and Planning (DIST), Politecnico di Torino, 10125 Torino, Italy)

Abstract

Sustainability is an inherent urban and architectural problem. It is simultaneously characterized by many different dimensions, pursuing heterogeneous and often conflicting objectives. To help address these complexities in a structured way, this paper illustrates an integrated assessment framework to tackle social sustainability, in order to support the decision-making process towards sustainable architecture. This integrated decision support framework was applied to a case study concerning a new cultural centre at the Politecnico di Torino in Italy. The aim of this paper is to propose a decision support methodological framework for the analysis, graphical visualization and evaluation of social sustainability of architectural projects. It combines three methods: first, Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, Threats (SWOT) analysis, to get a guided understanding of the project and detect the best design strategies; second, the Stakeholder Analysis (SA), to develop a strategic view of the actors involved; third, the Social Return of the Investment (SROI) as a methodological tool for social impact assessment. This framework, presented through the discussion of some project solutions, helps us to analyse the architectural material effect of social sustainability and answer the question: Are we investing properly and creating spaces sufficiently functional to build better conditions for our community and our city?

Suggested Citation

  • Isabella M. Lami & Beatrice Mecca, 2020. "Assessing Social Sustainability for Achieving Sustainable Architecture," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(1), pages 1-21, December.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jsusta:v:13:y:2020:i:1:p:142-:d:468280
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://www.mdpi.com/2071-1050/13/1/142/pdf
    Download Restriction: no
    File URL: https://www.mdpi.com/2071-1050/13/1/142/
    Download Restriction: no
    ---><---

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Giovanni Santi & Emanuele Leporelli & Michele Di Sivo, 2019. "Improving Sustainability in Architectural Research: Biopsychosocial Requirements in the Design of Urban Spaces," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 11(6), pages 1-14, March.
    2. Munda, Giuseppe, 2004. "Social multi-criteria evaluation: Methodological foundations and operational consequences," European Journal of Operational Research, Elsevier, vol. 158(3), pages 662-677, November.
    3. Isabella M. Lami & Stefano Moroni, 2020. "How Can I Help You? Questioning the Role of Evaluation Techniques in Democratic Decision-Making Processes," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 12(20), pages 1-17, October.
    4. Elena Tavella & Isabella Lami, 2019. "Negotiating perspectives and values through soft OR in the context of urban renewal," Journal of the Operational Research Society, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 70(1), pages 136-161, January.
    5. World Commission on Environment and Development,, 1987. "Our Common Future," OUP Catalogue, Oxford University Press, number 9780192820808.
    6. Ross Millar & Kelly Hall, 2013. "Social Return on Investment (SROI) and Performance Measurement," Public Management Review, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 15(6), pages 923-941, September.
    7. Efrat Eizenberg & Yosef Jabareen, 2017. "Social Sustainability: A New Conceptual Framework," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 9(1), pages 1-16, January.
    8. Umberto Mecca & Giuseppe Moglia & Paolo Piantanida & Francesco Prizzon & Manuela Rebaudengo & Antonio Vottari, 2020. "How Energy Retrofit Maintenance Affects Residential Buildings Market Value?," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 12(12), pages 1-18, June.
    9. Torsten Schroeder, 2018. "Giving Meaning to the Concept of Sustainability in Architectural Design Practices: Setting Out the Analytical Framework of Translation," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 10(6), pages 1-15, May.
    10. Carina Weingaertner & Åsa Moberg, 2014. "Exploring Social Sustainability: Learning from Perspectives on Urban Development and Companies and Products," Sustainable Development, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., vol. 22(2), pages 122-133, March.
    11. A. Rashidfarokhi & L. Yrjänä & M. Wallenius & S. Toivonen & A. Ekroos & K. Viitanen, 2018. "Social sustainability tool for assessing land use planning processes," European Planning Studies, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 26(6), pages 1269-1296, June.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Massoomeh Hedayati Marzbali & Aldrin Abdullah & Mohammad Javad Maghsoodi Tilaki & Mina Safizadeh, 2021. "Moving the 2030 Agenda Ahead: Exploring the Role of Multiple Mediators toward Perceived Environment and Social Sustainability in Residential Neighbourhoods," Land, MDPI, vol. 10(10), pages 1-18, October.
    2. Hossein Farhadikhah & Keramatollah Ziari, 2021. "Social sustainability between old and new neighborhoods (case study: Tehran neighborhoods)," Environment, Development and Sustainability: A Multidisciplinary Approach to the Theory and Practice of Sustainable Development, Springer, vol. 23(2), pages 2596-2613, February.
    3. Shahin Keynoush & Ehsan Daneshyar, 2022. "Defining a Pedagogical Framework for Integrating Buildings and Landscapes in Conjunction with Social Sustainability Discourse in the Architecture Graduate Design Studio," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 14(8), pages 1-27, April.
    4. Céline Janssen & Tom A. Daamen & Co Verdaas, 2021. "Planning for Urban Social Sustainability: Towards a Human-Centred Operational Approach," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(16), pages 1-17, August.
    5. Akram Hatami & Jan Hermes & Anne Keränen & Pauliina Ulkuniemi, 2023. "Creating Social Sustainability Through Distributing Leadership and Co-Responsibility in Corporate Volunteering," South Asian Journal of Business and Management Cases, , vol. 12(1), pages 81-96, April.
    6. Agnieszka Wojewódzka-Wiewiórska & Anna Kłoczko-Gajewska & Piotr Sulewski, 2019. "Between the Social and Economic Dimensions of Sustainability in Rural Areas—In Search of Farmers’ Quality of Life," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 12(1), pages 1-26, December.
    7. Jubril Olakitan Atanda & Ayşe Öztürk, 2020. "Social criteria of sustainable development in relation to green building assessment tools," Environment, Development and Sustainability: A Multidisciplinary Approach to the Theory and Practice of Sustainable Development, Springer, vol. 22(1), pages 61-87, January.
    8. White, Leroy & Lee, Gregory John, 2009. "Operational research and sustainable development: Tackling the social dimension," European Journal of Operational Research, Elsevier, vol. 193(3), pages 683-692, March.
    9. Çağla Beyaz & Çilen Erçin, 2023. "Evaluation of Modern Architecture Criteria in the Context of Sustainability and Architectural Approach; Modern Period in North Nicosia," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 15(13), pages 1-48, June.
    10. Krystyna Kurowska & Renata Marks-Bielska & Stanisław Bielski & Audrius Aleknavičius & Cezary Kowalczyk, 2020. "Geographic Information Systems and the Sustainable Development of Rural Areas," Land, MDPI, vol. 10(1), pages 1-18, December.
    11. Kosa Golić & Vesna Kosorić & Slavica Stamatovic Vuckovic & Kosara Kujundzic, 2023. "Strategies for Realization of Socially Sustainable Residential Buildings: Experts’ Perspectives," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 15(9), pages 1-31, April.
    12. Fatmaelzahraa Hussein & John Stephens & Reena Tiwari, 2020. "Memory for Social Sustainability: Recalling Cultural Memories in Zanqit Alsitat Historical Street Market, Alexandria, Egypt," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 12(19), pages 1-20, October.
    13. Ester Comas Argemí & Àngela D. Bosch Serra & Mamen Cuéllar Padilla & Gonzalo Gamboa Jiménez, 2012. "Sostenibilidad de la producción porcina en Cataluña (España). Aplicación del análisis multicriterio," Revista Iberoamericana de Economía Ecológica, Red Iberoamericana de Economía Ecológica, vol. 18, pages 1-19, Abril.
    14. Thi Huyen Le & Yoshinori Nakagawa & Yutaka Kobayashi, 2021. "Conditions under Which Rural-to-Urban Migration Enhances Social and Economic Sustainability of Home Communities: A Case Study in Vietnam," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(15), pages 1-18, July.
    15. Giuseppe Munda, 2015. "Beyond Gdp: An Overview Of Measurement Issues In Redefining ‘Wealth’," Journal of Economic Surveys, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 29(3), pages 403-422, July.
    16. Yrjänä, Laura & Rashidfarokhi, Anahita & Toivonen, Saija & Viitanen, Kauko, 2018. "Looking at retail planning policy through a sustainability lens: Evidence from policy discourse in Finland," Land Use Policy, Elsevier, vol. 79(C), pages 190-198.
    17. Gómez-Baggethun, Erik & de Groot, Rudolf & Lomas, Pedro L. & Montes, Carlos, 2010. "The history of ecosystem services in economic theory and practice: From early notions to markets and payment schemes," Ecological Economics, Elsevier, vol. 69(6), pages 1209-1218, April.
    18. Paul Mansell & Simon P. Philbin & Efrosyni Konstantinou, 2020. "Redefining the Use of Sustainable Development Goals at the Organisation and Project Levels—A Survey of Engineers," Administrative Sciences, MDPI, vol. 10(3), pages 1-39, August.
    19. Jerome Ballet & Damien Bazin & François‐Regis Mahieu, 2020. "A policy framework for social sustainability: Social cohesion, equity and safety," Sustainable Development, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., vol. 28(5), pages 1388-1394, September.
    20. Judith Janker & Stefan Mann, 2020. "Understanding the social dimension of sustainability in agriculture: a critical review of sustainability assessment tools," Environment, Development and Sustainability: A Multidisciplinary Approach to the Theory and Practice of Sustainable Development, Springer, vol. 22(3), pages 1671-1691, March.

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:gam:jsusta:v:13:y:2020:i:1:p:142-:d:468280. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: MDPI Indexing Manager (email available below). General contact details of provider: https://www.mdpi.com .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.