Prevention through Design as a Path toward Social Sustainability

Abstract

AbstractDesign and construction professionals who have studied sustainability know that sustainability encompasses not just environmental equity but also social equity and economic equity. Most of the literature on social sustainability in the built environment focuses on regional urban planning issues, not on specific actions capital project owners and design professionals can take. Prevention through design (PtD) (also known as design for construction safety) is an emerging initiative in the design and construction industry in which design professionals consider the safety of construction workers during the design phase. This paper provides an overview of the PtD concept and suggests that PtD should be a required aspect of social equity on capital projects. A recent survey (n=103) indicates that the expected challenges to diffusion of PtD—lack of knowledge, higher costs, industry structure, and fear of liability—may not prove to be significant barriers, but these challenges may be relevant to other soci...