Evaluation of the Social Sustainability of Infrastructure Projects: A Case Study of Urban Road Improvement in Southern Chile

Abstract

The concept of sustainability in civil works projects has been addressed mainly from economic and environmental perspectives. However, by definition, a holistic view must incorporate the social component. It is fundamental to understand the social interactions related to the life cycle of a civil work; otherwise harmonic coexistence is not promoted and risks a conflict between the community and the institutions responsible. Here, a case study is presented that analyses the contribution of an urban road improvement project to social sustainability in an area of a city with high traffic and renovation. The study is divided into two parts: first, the conceptual structure that relates the social criteria and the stakeholders involved in each stage of the life cycle of the project is established. Then, the indicators and thresholds are determined according to the implementation context. The methodology is based on semi-structured interviews with the stakeholders, a document review and surveys with the community. From this work, socially critical stakeholders and the dominant stages of the life cycle are identified. The construction of bicycle lanes and road safety stand out as important criteria that contribute to long-term social sustainability, while others such as citizen participation and identity and culture are opportunities for improvement in the early stages of development.