Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) Evaluation for Neighbourhood Planning and Design

Abstract

The UN 2030 Agenda and the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) highlight the central role of cities and urban settlements for the implementation of sustainable development policies and actions at the local level. In this paper we investigate how neighbourhood sustainability contribute to the achievement of SDGs through the analysis of their correlations with project evaluation criteria used in existing assessment tools like LEED Cities and Communities (LEED v4.1). In particular, we illustrate a method for evaluating these correlations, both in qualitative and in quantitative terms. The results of this analysis highlight some open questions in the SDGs implementation at the neighbourhood level, and the potential role of current assessment practices in SDG localization and operationalization procedures. In conclusion, we argue that despite these challenges and open questions, the NSA frameworks have the potential to guide neighbourhood planning and design towards the sustainability transition but only if they are better aligned with the SDG framework.