Assessing Social Sustainability within gated communities in Saudi Arabia

Social sustainability remains one of the least operationalized dimensions of sustainable development in the built environment, particularly within gated residential communities in Saudi Arabia. This thesis addresses a clear gap in the literature: although 23 assessment approaches were systematically reviewed, comprising 19 academic social sustainability frameworks and 4 neighbourhood-scale assessment tools, only three studies explicitly addressed social sustainability within gated communities, and no widely adopted, context sensitive assessment instrument was identified for the Saudi context. This shortage of gated community-specific tools reveals the fragmented and underdeveloped state of current measurement efforts and underscores the need for a contextualized framework tailored to Saudi Arabia. To address this gap, the study adopted a mixed-method research design that integrated an in depth literature review, content analysis, and a two-round Delphi technique. The literature review established the conceptual foundations of social sustainability in gated communities and identified a broad pool of candidate indicators. These were then examined through content analysis of the selected frameworks and tools, followed by systematic filtering based on conceptual relevance and contextual suitability to the Saudi setting. The preliminary xvi framework was subsequently refined and validated through two rounds of expert review involving specialists in urban planning, architecture, and development. The study resulted in a validated contextualized assessment framework for social sustainability in Saudi gated communities and in Arab Region. The finalized framework comprises five core categories: community cohesion and social interaction; safety and security; livability and quality of place; participatory governance, equity and empowerment; and external relations and integration. These are organized into 18 sub-categories and 45 indicators that collectively capture both the internal social dynamics of gated communities and their relationship with the wider urban context. The framework was rigorously supported by expert consensus and demonstrated strong internal consistency, with an overall Cronbach’s alpha of 0.86. This thesis contributes to knowledge by translating the abstract concept of social sustainability into a practical, empirically grounded, and context-sensitive assessment instrument tailored to Saudi Arabia. It provides planners, developers, and policymakers with a systematic tool to evaluate existing and future gated communities, identify strengths and weaknesses, and guide targeted interventions that enhance social well-being, inclusiveness, and quality of life. In doing so, the study supports broader efforts to align residential development with the ambitions of Saudi Vision 2030 and the creation of more socially sustainable communities.