ABSTRACT
Chapter 1.3 explores how social sustainability in the built environment can be used as a foundation for sustainability writ large. Sustainability has been defined as a tripartite concept: ecological, economic, and social. The first two are quantifiable, while the criteria for social sustainability using qualitative data are less clear. In architecture, ecological sustainability is the most frequently addressed of the three, especially in light of climate change. Ecological sustainability is typically defined through codes set by government agencies or guidelines developed by formal organizations, such as the Green Building Council’s LEED rating system and others.
This chapter examines building codes in various national contexts that address construction and energy use, as well as voluntary rating systems, such as LEED, BREEAM, WELL, Green Star Australia, Green Star China, the Living Building Challenge, and other regionally limited systems.
The chapter concludes that voluntary systems often struggle to address social inequality, even when they establish criteria for social sustainability since such systems tend to favor wealthier clients. Legislated systems, on the other hand, especially when coupled with financial incentives, provide a more useful means to introduce energy-saving features in buildings across the board.
