The social dimension of sustainable development: Defining urban social sustainability

Abstract Sustainable development is a widely used term, which has been increasingly influential on UK planning, housing and urban policy in recent years. Debates about sustainability no longer consider sustainability solely as an environmental concern, but also incorporate economic and social dimensions. However, while a social dimension to sustainability is widely accepted, exactly what this means has not been very clearly defined or agreed. This paper aims to address this disparity through a detailed exploration and definition of the concept of social sustainability within the urban context. The relationship between urban form and social sustainability is explored and two main dimensions of social sustainability are identified and discussed in detail: equitable access and the sustainability of the community itself. Copyright © 2009 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd and ERP Environment.