Towards a Comprehensive Approach for Sustainable Neighborhood -The Sudanese Context

This paper analyzed the main factors of sustainable neighborhoods to evaluate some of the residential neighborhoods in Sudan. The main objective of this study is to highlight the importance of a comprehensive framework for assessing sustainable neighborhood developments in Sudan. Four neighborhoods in Khartoum city were selected as case study areas with socio-spacial diversity. The analysis of the neighborhoods was based on land-use profile and field observations compared with UN-Habitat principles of the sustainable neighborhood which include- the design of street networks, high density, mixed land-use, social mix, and limited land-use specialization. The research examined the current situation in these neighborhoods and their potential to become sustainable in the future. The paper found that these neighborhoods are not fully sustainable and self-contained each selected neighborhood has some sustainable principles. The analysis showed that other influential factors contributing to urban sustainability are ignored by UN-Habitat principles such as the planning pattern of the area and the inhabitants' way of living. The paper presents a comprehensive framework to assess sustainable development in neighborhoods that include in addition to the above-mentioned urban parameters other factors such as location and distance from the town center, isolation from workplaces, and accessibility to a higher level of social services.