Using Public Opinion to Estimate Improvements in Economic and Social Dimensions of Sustainability

The responsible body preparing a building project often gets into the situation when they have to carry out a project influencing the public. Sustainable building objectives form an important issue for public awareness when a project is to be implemented, while other objectives and concerns presented by community, individuals or economic operators also may change the original project in some way. The projects in question were not viewed and accepted equally by each party as different effects on the stakeholders were expected and the project did not naturally resonate with everyone's views.

In the article we inform about a course of action of municipality when involving the public and other stakeholders to a building project that was required to be a sustainable one. The purpose was to lessen threats to sustainability paradigms from them, threats such as disagreements with the building project, consequential delays and future costs, caused by lack of information, by other parties' interference, or omission of unrecognized public and stakeholders' interests. Some figures are provided that document time change of public attitude, and an indicator that might provide a rough estimate on projects' sustainability aspects improvements or changes, prior to construction.