The SDG model puts the potential impact of works of art, products, business models, or events in relation to the 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Specific Good Practices can be selected and viewed in the broader context of similar projects and relevant SDGs. Their modes and means of operation were analyzed using Map/ing Sustainability.

The SDG model structures the SDGs into three levels: natural resources, provisioning systems, and well-being. This scheme follows a heuristic formulated by the International Resource Panel (UNEP, 2024), which emphasizes that sustainable development cannot be framed as isolated standalone objectives; rather, it relies on the interplay of ecological principles, social infrastructures, and personal quality of life.