Based on the study of neighborhoods as the basic unit to plan and generate more sustainable human settlements (Mumford, 1954; Choguill, 2008), and on community organization as an alternative way to implement more efficient projects at the local scale (Checkoway, 1984; Peterman, 2000; Pierson, 2008) the research considers UNESCO, Local Agenda 21, Healthy Neighborhoods, Transition Towns and developers proposals, offering a summary of the main features characterizing the development of sustainable neighborhoods.
The aim of this study is to offers a first approach to a community-based assessment tool, which can be used by both researchers and community members to evaluate the sustainability of their neighborhood and plan future improvements.
