Validating green building social sustainability indicators in China using the fuzzy delphi method

ABSTRACT Cities in China are experiencing accelerating urbanization, and the associated increase in anthropogenic activities and outcomes places an enormous burden on the environment, increases energy consumption, and leads to poor social sustainability. Poor social sustainability has not been adequately addressed by prior studies. This study develops a set of valid and reliable social sustainability indicators for assessing green buildings in China. Green building indicators are needed to validate various studies and assist practitioners in understanding social sustainability indicators. Hence, these indicators are analyzed using the fuzzy Delphi method. The results show that safety and durability are the most important aspects of green building social sustainability. Other key aspects are health and comfort, and accessibility and convenience. This set of indicators facilitates decision-making processes for practitioners and provides suitable practical guidelines for different stakeholders to allow social sustainability to be achieved. Graphical Abstract