Social Sustainability

Participation – Socio-cultural site analyzes – Public health
Social sustainability is a central pillar in the concept of sustainability and an important consideration within all projects we work on at 3RW architects. Social sustainability puts a sharp focus on how society is structured and functions in the interaction between the individual and the social. Social sustainability is about a well-functioning, robust society with a reduced need for institutionalized public solutions and the market. In a long-term socio-economic perspective – with a likely future flattening of the growth rate and challenges in maintaining welfare schemes – this is an absolutely significant social development. In addition, social sustainability can trigger great values for the individual citizen in the form of social capital. In a society where isolation and loneliness are becoming one of our major health challenges, promoting a social life outside the front door is a necessary measure.

Social sustainability has always been a core inspiration and motivation for 3RW’s projects. We have many years of experience in achieving socially sustainable projects. Community, cohesion, safety, activity and public health are important components we seek to achieve through our work. That people know each other, trust each other and experience the environment around them as inclusive and stable is a prerequisite for strengthening social capital. Social capital includes a number of conditions; social support, networks, ties, trust, security, participation, citizenship, and more. It is a type of “social ecosystem service”, or resilience, that reduces dependence on economic, bureaucratic or institutionalized systems and the alienation that can result from this.

Participation
Strengthening social sustainability is based on an understanding of complex relationships and which methods and measures must be implemented. Our society is changing and yesterday’s solutions are not necessarily workable tomorrow. This insight means a lot for how we gather the information on which we build our solutions for site development, urban development and architecture. Participation is an important part of this work. The population’s active role in decision-making processes is essential to take care of common values and basic living conditions in a sustainable society. In addition, the involvement itself is a prerequisite for social sustainability. An active involvement of the local community can in itself also stimulate more involvement in one’s own local area, and promote community and belonging. In addition to the democratic aspect, participation contains an important key to comprehend the values, interests and understandings linked to an area.

Sociocultural place analyses
Socio-cultural site analyzes are mandatory in FutureBuilt’s set of criteria for social sustainability. 3RW architects make socio-cultural site analyses, and we also use the methodology in other participation processes related to planning work and architecture. The starting point for carrying out a socio-cultural place analysis is justified by the fact that a place is not primarily a physical place, but an interpretation of the population’s various experiences, memories, values and feelings. How a place is used and not used depends on how different groups and actors perceive the place and relate to it. Socio-cultural analyzes are suitable for bringing out understandings, interests, differences, wishes and needs of the population in the area. Socio-cultural site analysis is a way of contributing to projects achieving greater social sustainability. The purpose of the analyzes is to find the core of what is often called “the socially constructed place” and to uncover how this will be able to influence development.