| Title |
A Comparative Study on the System and Characteristics of Sustainability Assessment Tools for Neighborhoods through France’s Eco-quartier Themes and Criteria - Focused on the 4 Major International Certification Systems - |
| Authors |
Han, Ji-Houng ; KimYong-Hyun |
| Keywords |
Sustainability Assessment Tools ; Eco-quartier(Eco-district) ; Neighborhood |
| Abstract |
This study explores the significance of sustainability, cited as the main aim of assessment and evaluation tools, by comparing indicators and characteristics of the four international assessment tool(LEED ND, BREEAM for Communities, CASBEE UD, HQE Amenagement) based on the 20 themes of Eco-quartier, which represents the concept of Frances’s sustainable residential neighborhoods and reflects their comprehensive characteristics. The four main categories of Eco-quartier are phase and process, lifestyle, territory development, preservation of resources and response to climate change. Twenty comprehensive themes have been suggested under these categories, and serve as a basis in analyzing the sustainability of a project in terms of environment, economy, and society. Through evaluating the indicators of assessment tools and plans for sustainable neighborhoods, we will characterize the disposition of each assessment tool by investigating the area of emphasis among environmental, social, and economical aspects, as well as the extent of bias. From a cross-tabulation analysis of sustainability assessment standards of the four international assessment tools, it was found that LEED ND gives equal consideration to sustainability requirements and devises plans according to land characteristics. However, it lacks a clear standard for “phase and progress,” and its scoring system may lead to a biased evaluation. BREEAM for Communities offers a more detailed break down of evaluation standards, and delivers customized results by applying a regional weighted value for each standard. This method achieves a good balance in the consideration of sustainability requirements. Meanwhile, CASBEE UD is more focused on environmental aspects, and usually utilized as a method of post-evaluation. It is particularly weak in “phase and progress,” and assigns a low priority to “land development.” HQE Amenagement is more useful in the qualitative assessment of progress than the evaluation of results since all other areas are given low priority. By conducting a comparative analysis of international assessment tools for neighborhoods to derive sustainability characteristics and principles behind specific indicators, we suggest implications for the development of a sustainability assessment tool for residential neighborhoods in the Korean context. |