To achieve sustainability, more economic and environmental initiatives, projects, and policies must have a positive impact on society, advance social justice, and enhance the general well-being of people and communities. This study proposes a quantitative and qualitative framework to assess social sustainability in different urban regions. A multi-category approach is used to determine what categories and indicators of social sustainability city governments and academia should consider to ensure that their policies and projects align with community values. The next step involves assessing residents’ satisfaction through citizen participation. This framework, entitled the “Integrated Social Sustainability Assessment (ISSA)”, was applied in three zones of the Furuset area in Oslo. The results of the three diagrams show how community strengths and weaknesses can be identified, allowing projects to be prioritized in a way that benefits citizens in the long term and provides a comparative score. This framework provides policymakers with useful tools and guidelines for creating policies and projects that are sustainable, equitable, and capable of meeting the needs of their communities in a measurable manner.

Facilitating the adoption of Building-Integrated Photovoltaics (BIPV) in Norway employs addressing common questions raised by key stakeholder groups: citizens (People), municipalities and governmental agencies (Public), and architects, developers, practitioners, technicians, and other industry actors (Private). While each group has specific interests, many of their concerns overlaps. This study seeks to identify and clarify social and cultural misconceptions, as well as technical uncertainties, related to BIPV deployment in the Norwegian context. Five key questions identified from previous studies form the basis of the study. Technical responses are grounded in a range of sources, including scientific literature published after 2020, Norwegian technical reports and standards, and international guidelines. A question-and-answer format is used to address five common misconceptions regarding BIPV in the Nordic environment: (i) performance in cold climates, (ii) cost and economic viability, (iii) regulatory and policy frameworks, (iv) aesthetic and design considerations, and (v) presentation of successful examples. Therefore, it is bridging sectoral communication gaps by providing scientific answers to non-expert concerns. These questions are based on findings from previous research in this field. These findings inform best practices and policy development study informs various stakeholders of best practices and policy needs for BIPV by contextualizing BIPV within Norway’s environmental and regulatory framework. The methodological approach is adaptable to other countries and applicable to other technologies to clarify common concerns and enhance social acceptance. Ultimately, this paper aims to empower People, Public, and Private stakeholders to support and plan for a broader BIPV adoption by increasing social awareness and understanding.