Developing a cultural sustainability assessment framework for environmental facilities in urban communities

Cultural sustainability is essential for sustainable urban development, yet its integration into environmental facility design in urban community is often overlooked. This paper proposed a 4-level hierarchical framework with 30 indicators to assess the cultural sustainability of urban environmental facilities. The framework was organized into three dimensions: cultural core, cultural representation, and cultural impetus, focusing on preserving cultural heritage, fostering emotional and identity connections through design, and strengthening community resilience. Using qualitative and quantitative methods, including Delphi and Bayesian Best-Worst Methods (BWM), the indicators were refined and weighted. Case studies in Shanghai and Guangzhou demonstrated the framework’s practical application in assessing cultural sustainability and guiding urban design and policy decisions. This study provided urban planners and designers with an adaptable tool to incorporate cultural sustainability into rapidly changing urban environments, offering insights for promoting resilient and cohesive communities.