Social Sustainability Components & Improving the Physical Quality of Contemporary Residential Complexes

The paradigm of social sustainability in contemporary literature has always been widely proposed to solve the problems and inefficiencies of the physical environment in various scales of the urban space. Hence, addressing the concept of social sustainability on a micro-scale, such as residential complexes that have been less discussed, can improve the socio-physical quality of these areas. In this research, because social sustainability indicators have complex dimensions; evaluation and prioritization of the components and indicators that are affecting social sustainability in Shiraz’s residential complexes have been done from the viewpoints of professionals in the field of architecture and urban planning. The strategy of the current study is correlational and quantitative in terms of methodology; the collected data of 33 selected professionals whose research and professional area is focused on residential complexes was examined and evaluated using a multi-criteria decision-making process (DANP technique). The findings of this study showed that the physical component serves as a grounding criterion that affects the component of social sustainability. The following indicators, according to experts, are effective in improving the physical quality of residential complexes: the indicators A) social interactions, B) security and safety, and C) place attachment and sense of place have higher rankings, whereas the indicator E) housing density has the lowest. Finally, policies and strategies for planning and designing residential complexes in both social and physical dimensions are suggested for decision-makers and planners to adopt based on the findings and results.