Social Sustainability and Peacebuilding in Multicultural Neighbourhoods: Case Studies of Coexistence and Resource Sharing

Abstract

Sustainability as the dynamic stability in social and ecological systems and their interactions have emerged as a growing academic discourse in the 21s century. In multi-ethnic society, public spaces and places have become important sites of shared intercultural encounters that promotes social sustainability and peaceful coexistence. This study examines how social sustainability is produced and maintained in multicultural neighbourhoods through everyday practices of coexistence and resource sharing, and its impacts on peacebuilding. Grounded in a comparative case-study approach, it analyses four empirically-documented contexts: Community gardening and urban green space collaboration in Lagos, community food-sharing initiatives (community fridge) in Ottawa, Canada; inter-ethnic neighbourhood dynamics in Kumasi, Ghana; and social uses of commercial/urban streetscapes in Kadıköy (Bagdat Street), Istanbul. Drawing on qualitative and mixed-method evidence from literature, the study develops a framework that links micro-level resource-sharing practices (informal mutual aid, community infrastructures) to meso-level social cohesion (trust, reciprocal ties) and macro-level institutional supports (policy, planning). Findings indicate, that resource-sharing mechanisms (both formal and informal) act as mediators of coexistence, enabling social sustainability by building reciprocity, fostering inclusive practices, and buffering institutional gaps. The paper concludes with policy recommendations for planners and community practitioners to strengthen social sustainability through supportive governance, hybrid (formal–informal) infrastructures, and culturally sensitive programming.