ABSTRACT
This chapter aims to assess certain material conditions of social sustainability and to develop an approach that can handle its connections with the built environment through a rigorous method. It is particularly concerned with the erosion of the traditional architectural fabric in Brazil, where new architectural forms are shaping the urban landscape. The distribution of activities and architectural features was measured to comprise a total of approximately 10 social and 40 spatial variables such as the number of windows and doors, the presence of walls or fences, front and lateral setbacks, and so on. The chapter also aims to compare the distribution of architectural features and ground-level land uses with pedestrian activity, and see whether consistent correspondences could be found. Standardisation of architectural models focused on specific market niches and social classes, and social segregation, is a trend that can be seen clearly but that is generally ignored precisely because these models are so pervasive.
