The Five Controversies of Market-Driven Sustainable Neighborhoods: An Alternative Approach to Post-Occupancy Evaluation

The increased involvement of the private sector in building sustainable communities is often met with skepticism from sustainability experts and academics. Although environmental engineers may wish to focus on technical design features green rating such projects validate their sustainability, data are sometimes lacking, social scientists criticize projects’ impacts portray them as greenwashing sustainability. More holistic evidence-based attempts needed understand post-occupancy performance a way that targets core obstacles This paper investigates fundamental challenges market model neighborhoods by using qualitative evaluation method. We map controversies through lenses different actors ask how can be addressed future developments. interviewed 46 Sustainable City—a 590-unit residential development Dubai. Through inductive analysis, we mapped five central controversies: Branding Controversy; Innovation Behavior Governance Controversy, Market Controversy. Such appear fundamentally associated privately developed neighborhoods. present recommendations resolve developments, including clearer communication goals behavior expectations residents, ongoing education careful testing technologies, necessary steps developers local municipalities promote affordability equity, resident representative committees order enhance civic agency.