Identifying Social Sustainability Key Factors in Urban Neighborhoods (Case Study: Ardabil)

Regardless of Over Three Decades in Emerging the Concept of Sustainable Development, Social Sustainability Compared to Two Other Dimensions of Sustainability: Economic and Environmental, Has Been Neglected, However in Recent Years Related Literature to This Dimension Has Also Expanded. According to The Studies, The Best Scale for Assessing and Measuring the Social Sustainability is Urban Neighborhoods. But the Point Is Multiplicity and Variety of Indicators at Different Levels and Scales with Causal Relationships. Therefore, the Purpose of This Research Is to Analyze the Causal Relationships and Recognize the Key Factors of Social Sustainability in the Scale of Urban Neighborhoods in Ardabil. For this Purpose, Structural Interpretation Analysis Has Been Used in MicMac Software. In Order to Provide the Basic Data of Model Corresponded 47 Indicators, a 47*47 Matrix Was Provided to Experts in Urban Affairs of Ardabil. Sampling Method in This Section, Has been Targeted and Sequential Sampling in a Two- Step Delphi Format. Research Results Show that Social Sustainability Indicators Can Be Divided into four Categories of "Linked", "Effective", "Independent" and "Dependent" Variables. According to the Indirect Relationships Matrix, "Existence of Democratic Institutions", "Political and Institutional Responsibility", "Democracy Level" as "Management and Institutional" Indicators, Have the Most Indirect Influence in the Network of Relationship between Variables and Are Key Variables for Social Sustainability.