Developing an urban sustainability assessment protocol reflecting the project lifecycle

Recent years have witnessed a recognised shift in the manner that sustainability assessment requires to be considered within building projects. In evolving away from its sole consideration as a technically based exercise, recognition has emerged of its role as contributing to a wider subjectively based approach to decision-making, that aids in the promotion of sustainability through stakeholder engagement, mediation and critically as a stimulus for learning. In order for practitioners to engage and aid the delivery of such an approach, sustainability assessment requires to be viewed as a process which is applied throughout the project lifecycle.