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Abstract A socially sustainable community is one where the needs of its members are satisfied in the present and for generations to come. Social sustainability concerns individuals, communities and whole societies which do not exist in a vacuum but within built environments. Architecture, as a human activity and a setting for human activities, can provide valuable contributions to the social sustainability of a community. This is especially true in the case of building schools, which already play a vital role in the social sustainability of communities. This study aimed at developing a framework of criteria to facilitate and maximize the role of school architecture in pursuing social sustainability within schools and their communities. The study methodology depended on reviewing the literature for the concept of social sustainability, compiling a list of social sustainability themes that can be incorporated in the built environment, investigating examples of how they can be practically incorporated and finally developing the framework of criteria. The framework was used to evaluate the different models of public primary schools in Egypt. The study concluded that the developed framework of criteria assisted in maximizing the role of schools in pursuing social sustainability in their communities. This was done by providing a holistic view of the themes of social sustainability in which architecture can contribute, providing strategies in each theme to be decoded into practical tactics, and keeping the interest of all affected stakeholders in view. |