Sustainable housing design: measurement, motivation, and management in Sutherland Shire, Sydney, Australia

Abstract

This paper reports on an in-depth study of the status of sustainable housing design (SHD), in Sutherland Shire, Sydney, Australia. The motives and attitudes of key stakeholders towards SHD were identified. Also investigated was the feasibility of an Ecological Sustainability Index (ESI) developed by Sutherland Shire Council, to assist as a tool for the assessment of residential developments. Residential surveys, reviews of development applications, and interviews with housing professionals all indicated that the status of environmentally sustainable housing in the area was inadequate and was not improving. Despite an overwhelming majority of people supporting the principles and goals of environmental sustainability this did not translate into practice in terms of SHD. This indicates that government education and financial incentives to include SHD features in new homes were not sufficient to affect significantly decisions made by stakeholders during the development process. The findings support the use of simple and flexible sustainability tools such as the ESI in this area, with obvious potential in broader contexts. This study suggests the need for initiatives such as an ESI to provide gradual cumulative environmental benefits towards sustainable cities in Australia and internationally, provided that they receive the necessary political will, and public and local government administrative support for sufficient implementation. The study also raises a wider agenda for interdisciplinary research into sustainable design indices.