BPSD6010: Social Sustainability in the Built Environment

2026 unit information

This unit explores social sustainability principles and their application to create better built environments. Students will learn how architecture, planning, and design practices can incorporate social considerations alongside environmental and economic factors. The course covers essential frameworks including Social Value International principles, OECD wellbeing measures, and relevant UN Sustainable Development Goals. Students will develop practical skills in stakeholder engagement, participatory design, and social impact assessment—tools increasingly demanded by industry and communities. Through case studies and hands-on projects, students will learn to identify, measure, and communicate social outcomes in built environment contexts. The unit emphasizes how built environment professionals can address contemporary challenges like social equity, community resilience, and inclusive design. By completion, students will be able to apply social sustainability principles to their professional practice, evaluate methodologies for measuring social impact, and develop strategies for integrating social value into design and planning processes. This unit serves students across multiple disciplines including building performance, architecture, urban planning, and design programs.

Unit details and rules

Managing faculty or University school:

Sydney School of Architecture, Design and Planning

Details

Study level	Postgraduate
Academic unit	Architecture
Credit points	6

Enrolment rules

Prerequisites: ?	BPSD5010
Corequisites: ?	None
Prohibitions: ?	None
Assumed knowledge: ?	None

Learning outcomes

The learning outcomes for this unit will be available two weeks before the first day of teaching.

Unit availability

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There are no availabilities for this year.

Session	MoA ?	Location	Outline ?
Semester 1 2026	Block mode	Camperdown/Darlington, Sydney	Outline unavailable

There are no availabilities for previous years.

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Modes of attendance (MoA)

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