Implementation of Sustainable Development: the ...

International Proceedings of Chemical, Biological and Environmental Engineering, V0l. 93 (2016) DOI: 10.7763/IPCBEE. 2016. V93. 22

Implementation of Sustainable Development: the Impact of Social Sustainability Tunmise, Ayodele T.T1 and Abimbola, Ogunlola A.A2 1

Leicester school of Architecture, De Montfort University, United Kingdom.

2

Department of Architecture, Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile Ife Nigeria.

Abstract. Sustainability having gained momentum over the years has been adopted as a global agenda for all developments, because of the impact of human activities on the environment. So, is it all about the environment? The social dimension also aimed at assuming certain needs of people globally. Nevertheless, limited research work has been done on the subject. This study is a precedence to subsequent studies. It is a review of some theoretical investigations on the impact of social sustainability in the implementation of sustainable development, and a case of Nigeria and United Kingdom are presented for comparison. Research efforts in existing literatures are presented and the theoretical investigation suggests a visible impact of social sustainability. It also identifies the need for further research and awareness on the subject matter for all stakeholders to promote social sustainability in the built environment. Keywords: social sustainability, sustainability, sustainable development.

1. Introduction District six, the sixth municipal district of Cape Town was known as a community that accommodated diverse ethnicity, freed slaves, merchants, artisans and mostly immigrants; a notable area with road networks to urban areas and port at the inception of the twentieth century. However, the good story changed to an era of marginalisation. The black South Africans were forcefully asked to leave the district in 1901, the flourishing class found their way to the suburbs and the previously flourishing area became a neglected city. In 1966 it was declared a white area under Act of 1950 (the group areas), it became a desert land as houses were flattened by bulldozers. [1] This ugly incidence led to this statement from one of the notable proponents of sustainable development. “Sustainability…suggests all humanity has a similar interest in ‘sustainable housing’ or ‘sustainable urban development’; that if we simply recognized our common interests everything would be fine, there would be an end to, ill treatment, segregation, housing problems, congestion, penury and incessant slum. Yet social sustainability and urban development are conflict-laden areas, and this is very evident in the case of District Six. (Lucien Le Grange, director of the School of Architecture at the University of Cape Town). Having said this, this essay explains the concept of sustainable development, analyse its implementation in buildings and practice. Dwelling solely on the impact of social dimension which is believed to have been disregarded overtime, the essay demonstrates way by which stakeholders have reacted to social sustainability while implementing sustainable development, an example in Nigeria and United Kingdom was used for this analysis to show the impact of social sustainability of sustainable development.

2. Robust Definition of Sustainable Development. Sustainable development is a development which meets the needs of the present generation without encroaching on the strength of the future generations to satisfy its own needs [2]. Sustainability is referred to as the concept of using wisely the available natural resources avoiding depletion of such resources. This implies that builders, architects, designers, community planners, and other stakeholders strive to create buildings and communities that will not deplete natural resources. The goal is to meet today's needs using renewable resources so that the needs of future generations will be provided for. Sustainable development 145

attempts to minimize greenhouse gases, reduce global warming, preserve environmental resources, and produce communities that allow people to reach their full potentials. This phenomenon has been defined by several authors as it expands in horizon over the years. However, the most common element of this definition is the ability to provide for the present without compromising the standard of living for the future; the sociocultural needs of people is fundamental. Social wellbeing of people has to be balanced by the conservation of environmental resources for the benefit of future generations [3]. It could be inferred that there should be a balance between environmental conservation and social needs while implementing sustainable development. Furthermore, [4] noted that sustainable development means total regard for the integrity of nature as well as the needs and privileges of present and future generations, this means developments which has their origin in socio-cultural activities destruction should be rejected. However, it has been observed that the ethos of sustainable development has been defined in isolation, each from its distinctive views; little efforts have been made as regard a holistic conception. [5] The new perspective of sustainable development as a holistic vision balance changes at all levels of environmental, economic and social view.

2.1

The Dimensions of Sustainability

The three dimensions of sustainability are very essential while defining sustainable development, as it consist of the environmental, economic and social pillars. If any of these pillars is neglected, then the whole system is believed to be unsustainable [6] there should be an interaction among the dimensions of sustainability. The diagram in Fig. 1 reiterates the interaction between these dimensions.

Fig.1: Dimensions of sustainability. Source: [7]

However, it is concluded that sustainable development needs some attention and clarification as some challenges occur in identifying sustainability in the built environment due to misconceptions as regards the three dimensions [8]. A development is believed to be sustainable only if it satisfies all the three dimensions. Fig. 1 above shows the interaction of the dimensions towards sustainable development. Hence, social sustainability should not be isolated.

2.2

Social Sustainability

The social dimension of sustainability has been argued to be the most ignored of the three dimensions of sustainability. People seem to appraise a building's performance in different ways other than this [9]. It was concluded that this is a challenge on the growth of sustainable development as there is the difficulty in providing ethos of sustainable development between people. It is worthy of note that there have been some efforts to define social sustainability by mostly considering the quality of living, but it was observed that these efforts have complicated the vagueness of social sustainability. [10] A development that enhances a communal living is believed to be a measure for a sustainable development. Social sustainability should be seen as a diverse phenomenon which is subject to change at any given time, its dynamism is the sole reason why several efforts to define and explain this concept have evolved overtime by different authors. Studies 146

also observed that social sustainability is believed to have diverse requirements; as a result, requires painstaking appraisal. [11] The study concluded that a development or building that allows social sustainability should:  Guarantee access to local services and infrastructure  Preserve local heritage and culture of the people  Adhere to standards that are ethical and enhance economic activities, also provide a friendly and healthy work environments. Furtherance to an environmentally friendly building minimizing its impact on global warming, sustainable developments expect more to be done. It was also concluded that the sense of belonging is paramount and sustainable buildings should satisfy the following criteria:    

Traditions Human health Social infrastructure Participation and local democracy among others. [12]

In a research around the world, some elements referred to as key indicators for a sustainable development were inferred and it was concluded that one of the constraints of integrating the framework of the research is the local interpretation which is fundamental. Towards a design for social sustainability some considerations were also noted such as:

  

Meeting and interaction point for people How people move from place to place (Transportation) How child care facilities can evolve into new builds, are as important as any other factor. [12]

The study concluded that the overall sustainability of buildings demands economic and environmental dimensions, but depends on well-planned social amenities with an aim of building an environment that puts at heart a sense of belonging of the people. As long as this is not implemented, the society will be left with no choice than to continue to bear the social burdens of its mistakes. Social sustainability is found to be of public importance and as such a determinant for quality of life for present and future generations. Fig. 2 below shows the illustration of design towards a socially sustainable society. Factors put into consideration are majorly space to grow, voice and influence, social and cultural life, as well as amenities and social infrastructure. All these factors are fundamental to providing social justice.

Fig. 2: Design for social sustainability. Source: [12] 147

However, it is believed that social sustainability has a conflicting interest with creating a city. Increasing population and government policies in most developing countries lead to inequity and lack of social justice as well as depletion of slums and squatters that negates the social wellbeing of people. Nevertheless, the implementation of the concept of sustainability has suffered a setback because it has often been appraised exclusively to the environmental dimension disregarding the social aspect. [13], the implementation of this phenomenon fails completely if any of this dimensions is not balanced with one another in the process of evaluation. Hence, the limitations of the implementation process have relatively been traced to the disregard for social sustainability calling for more attention in the present day practice. Evidence from preceding discussions have shown that sustainable development has been recently updated as more socially conscious and relative in terms of the dimensions. Having said that, the impact of social sustainability is being analysed below with examples comparing practice in Nigeria and United Kingdom.

3. Case study 3.1 Makoko, Lagos (Disregard for Social Sustainability) Makoko in Lagos is an area that was considered to be 85,840 in population. Even though not officially part of the 2007 census and the population is estimated to be higher. The area came into existence in the 18 th century and was used primarily for fishing, most of the structures in Makoko are shanty developments and constructed on stilts above the Lagos lagoon as represented in Fig. 3 and 4 below.

Fig. 3: The lagoon in Makoko Lagos. Source; [14]

The increasing rate of socially unsustainable environments such as the Makoko area in Lagos can be traced to the rapid urbanisation in Lagos that has increased the demand for services such as housing. The serious challenge facing public authorities in areas like this has been traced to the inability to provide affordable housing for the rapidly growing society. [15] Even after several attempts to cub this menace, socially sustainable housing for the low income earners has become a dream yet to be achieved. Places such as Makoko still lack basic amenities which is an indicator for decent living even while creating a sustainable urban city. [15] The uneven distribution of infrastructure and social amenities among people in Lagos brought about the emergence of slums like this, this suggests that satisfaction is a measure used to distinguish between current and anticipated community situation. People assess their situations relative to their needs, desires and aspirations. With all this indicators, it is believed that the inhabitants of Makoko are unhappy with the current condition as regards the implementation of sustainable development in that area, social dimension is found wanting in creating the city of Lagos. More emphasis has over time been laid on environmental and economic ethos than the social ethos of sustainable development.

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Fig. 4: Picture showing a woman doing her business on the lagoon; [14]

The oily water in Fig. 4 is what the residents of this community depend on for their way of life, this endangers the health of the people and encourages the spread of diseases across the populace. [14] Also worthy of note is one of the paramount ethos of social sustainability which is social justice, this is far from the resident of this community as they recently experienced similar situation of the district six in South Africa years back. Recently the government declared their homes illegal which made them homeless in a quest to carry on regeneration, they were not offered an alternative settlement that could be called home. Months later they were still found living in their boats exposed to serious dangers. Yet they carried out their day to day activities in the situation as shown in the pictures above, definitely with little or no social satisfaction about the implementation of sustainable development. The Makoko community in Lagos, Nigeria is being identified as an example of the disregard for social sustainability in the implementation of sustainable development in Nigeria.

3.2 The Empire square, London (A Regard for Social Sustainability) The Empire square is a development at London Bridge that was built in winter 2006, it is an upscale serviced apartments 0.2 miles from Borough tube station and 0.8 miles from Tate modern Museum and 1.3 miles from the Tower of London. It has over 277 dwelling gated development, 49 key worker apartments (live and work), and these give appropriate room for social interaction and social justice which is an attribute of social sustainability. Also, there is a new public garden space for social interaction. The building in question is an epitome of sustainable development most especially as regard social sustainability. It provides modern affordable housing and accommodation for all and sundry and possesses some amenities such as parking, access to gym and on-site crèche. Fig. 5 shows a view of the well landscaped community. The building had complied with social sustainability from the design process, a yearlong archaeological study on the site had started since 2002. Several heritages including a roman stone tablet was found and it is now replicated on the central space’s paving, addressing the conservation of cultural heritage which is an indicator of social sustainability. According to archival record, plans were exhibited to local residents to decide on before creating the urban life, they were solely in support of raising the quality of life of the area. The development is notable for its awards 2007 Housing Design Awards and the 2006 House Building Innovation Awards. In addition to the facilities, a nursery, small supermarket, restaurant, bar and gym are within five minutes’ walk to the square. Also community facilities such as primary school and library are equally close to these facilities. This in a great deal depicts the regard for social sustainability, social justice and equity in the implementation of sustainable development. However, the performance of the Empire Tower as regards social sustainability was carried out on the building, the indicators for the social and cultural life were formed by questions that put at heart fundamental issues within the social dimension. Presented in Fig. 6 below is a pie chat representation of the findings on social sustainability satisfaction survey on the community.

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Fig 5: Picture showing Empire square Source; [17]

Fig. 6: Survey of satisfaction for empire square. Source; [18]

The research indicated that residents generally identify themselves as a member of a unified community, some local amenities provided as part of the development (gym, nursery etc.) are used by both residents and people outside the environment perceiving all facilities as affordable. Respondents according to the graph noted the importance of their central location and local transports link connecting them to facilities and social amenities, as good indicator of social sustainability. Buildings that are well articulated and have regard for social and urban feasibility such as this improve the wellbeing of the society and encourage an environment that enhances social activities and friendship among citizens. This in no doubt gives a balance to the other two dimensions of sustainability (economic and environmental). However, greater importance needs to be given to the social context of a building, the consideration of the building and the immediate environment or neighbourhood allows a cross examination of sustainability. A balanced environment, human satisfaction and social equity should be promoted, realized and managed. [19]

4. Conclusion Despite the impact of social sustainability in the implementation of developments globally, it is very clear that the knowledge of it gained little momentum in many grounds. Limited laws and policies that strictly deter contrary practices do not fully exist in many governments. It is believed that implementation of sustainable development without the social dimension would be an effort in futility. Studies need to be carried out to examine the level of awareness and consciousness these stakeholders and practitioners have on the subject matter. Further studies beyond this work is recommended to provide more knowledge on the possible impacts of social sustainability. More research work is necessary to create a model of the key 150

indicators of socially sustainable developments. Sustainable development is only attainable if social dimension could be evenly balanced with the other two dimensions.

5. References [1] Ademiluyi, I. a. (2010). Public housing delivery strategies in Nigeria: a historical perspective of policies and programmes. Journal of sustainable development in Africa. 12(6): 153–161. [2] Brundtland, gro Harlem, world commission on environment and development (1987). Our common future. Oxford university press, New York. pp. 102 [3] Edward .b (2005) rough guide to sustainability riba enterprises, London pp3-5.Capra, f. (1991). Belonging to the universe: explorations on the frontiers of science and spirituality. San Francisco, CA: harper [4] Yanarella, e., and Bartilow, h. (2000) dreams of sustainability; beyond the antinomies of the global sustainability debate. International journal of sustainable development. 3(4): 370-389. [5] Cuello .c.n (1997) towards a holistic approach to the idea of sustainability Phil & tech 2.2 winter. [6] Woodcraft, s, bacon, n, Hackett, t, Caistor-arendar, l. (2012). Design for social sustainability. Social life/young foundation, London. Available at http://sociallife.co/media/files/dfss_2nd_ed_for_online.pdf [7] www.wikipedia.com [8] Basiago, a.d (1995). Methods of defining sustainability, sustainable development. 3(3): 155-162.Commission for architecture and built environment (2011) [9] Dempsey, n., Bramley, g., Power, s., and Brown, c. (2011). The social dimension of sustainable development: defining urban social sustainability. Sustainable develop, ENT, 19(5): 295-300. [10] Vallance, s, Perkins, h.c, and Dixon, j.e (2011). What is social sustainability? A clarification of concepts. Geoforum, 42(3): 342-348. [11] Chiu, R. L. H. (2003) Social Sustainability, sustainable development and housing development: The experience of Hong Kong. I FORREST, R. & LEE, J. (Eds.) Housing and social change: East-west perspectives. Rutledge. [12] www.youngfoundation.org [13] Hueting, r., and Reijnders, l. (2004). Broad sustainability contra sustainability; the proper construction of sustainability indicators. Ecological economics. 50(3-4): 294-260. [14] www.citylab.com [15] Muhammad, m. & bichi, a. m. (2014). Constraints and challenges on housing provision in Kano city, Nigeria. International journal of advancements in research & technology, 3 (6): 4–23. [16] www.dailymail.co.uk [17] www.berkeleygroup.co.uk [18] Martens, p (2006). Sustainability, science or fiction? Sustainability science practice and policy. 2(1): 36-41.

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