Conceptualising the characteristics of the indicators of a neighbourhood sustainability assessment framework in a developing country context

Sustainability Indicators (SIs) emerged to monitor progress towards sustainable development which has led to the development of large quantity of indicators locally at the various scales of spatial development. This paper utilizes 23 SIs that were distilled in engagement with both residents and institutional stakeholders responsible for neighbourhood delivery in metropolitan Lagos. The aim is to conceptualise how these indicators can be characterised in terms of their attributes in a way they can be compared with indicators developed in other contexts. Drawing extensively from literature on how indicators can be described, the 23 indicators were characterised based on their typology in an assessment framework, weight, and ranking, and balance (i.e. contextual, procedural, and integrational). Findings showed that while there are some similarities in the characteristics of the indicators when compared to existing Neighbourhood Sustainability Assessment Frameworks (NSAFs), there are areas of differences which are primarily driven by contextual factors. As major area of contribution, this article could serve as a starting point, and basis for comparison with indicators developed in other African cities with similar contextual factors and sustainability challenges. This paper contributes significantly to the argument that SIs are context-specific and transference of sustainability solutions may be quite challenging.