Social sustainability in the habitat: a qualitative analysis of student perceptions through participatory learning.

Abstract

This paper presents the results of a pedagogical experience developed during UAT Research Day 2025, which aimed to explore students' perceptions of housing well-being through a participatory approach based on symbolic adobe modeling. Seventy-seven design, architecture, and urban planning students participated, answering two open-ended questions about the notion of social well-being and the essential elements of their neighborhoods. The results revealed categories related to quality of life, community life, the environment, security, and basic infrastructure. Water, garbage collection, and green spaces were the most frequently mentioned elements as indispensable for a livable community, demonstrating that young people conceive of habitability from a holistic perspective encompassing both material and relational dimensions.