Comprises essays on the importance of community participation for the success of sustainable development.

Recent debates about sustainable development have shifted their focus from fixing environmental problems in a technocratic and economic way to more fundamental changes in social-political processes and relations. In this context, participation is a genuinely transformative approach to sustainable development, yet the process by which participation leads to transformation is not sufficiently understood. This book considers how the act of participating in sustainable development projects can bring about social transformation that is considered to be fair and just by the participants and non-participants in a broader societal context. Drawing on ideas from social theory and applied anthropology, the book proposes a reflexivity-based framework to analyse participation as a type of social action underpinned by primary experience. Development projects have a transformative effect when participants are given the opportunity to reflect on their experience, share the reflection with others, and open new space for collective deliberation and change. The book applies this framework to assess community-based participatory projects in the Amazon, African slums and rural settlements, and disaster stricken areas in Japan. It also outlines potential institutions of governance to institutionalize the change by referring to current food governance, drawing out lessons with international relevance. This book will be of interest to students of sustainable development, environmental policy and development studies, as well as practitioners and policy-makers in these fields.

Can—and should—participation be a means of achieving sustainability? The concepts of sustainability and participation are both in vogue, and many international, supranational and national legal texts and standards refer to these two concepts. However, there are still several unanswered questions that invite legal inquiry: which sustainability? Which kinds of participation? Participation by whom? How are the two concepts of sustainability and participation effectively interlinked in legal provisions? This book approaches the interconnection between sustainability and participation inductively and precisely in areas of law which are commonly associated with sustainability and sustainable development: national, European and international environmental and economic law.

This book discusses how citizens can participate more effectively in sustainability science and environmental policy debates. It discusses designs for participatory procedures, and experiences of their application to issues of global change. While the focus is on citizen participation, the involvement of specific stakeholders - including water managers and venture capitalists - is also addressed. The book describes how focus group methods were combined with the interactive use of computer models into new forms of participation, tested with six hundred citizens. The results are discussed in relation to other important topics, including greenhouse gas and water management. By combining this with an examination of issues of interactive governance and developing country participation, the book provides state-of-the-art, practical insights for students, researchers and policy makers alike.

Books like this which bubble over with the fruits of many people experience and insight add new layers of meaning to (the concept if sustainable development) deepening our understanding of what for me is the most important political challenge of our age-by a very Long way... this timely and important book will be a real inspiration. ' from the foreword by JONATHON PORRITT Community and Sustainable Development is about the future - a future in which people have the resources to meet their needs. This basic message of sustainable development recognises the need to conserve environmental resources, but also to support and build the human resources through which the future will be realised, by ensuring that local people are able to participate in the decisions and activities which affect their living environment. Featuring contributions from many leading figures in the fields of community participation and sustainable development, this book shows how participation can extend democracy, citizenship and accountability. It also considers the role of science and expert knowledge in setting and achieving appropriate goals for development, and describes how participatory initiatives can inspire sustainable action on poverty and social inclusion. Originally pubished in 1998

This ground-breaking collection brings together a range of perspectives on the philosophy, design and experience of participatory approaches within education and the environment, health and sustainability. Chapters address participatory work with children, youth and adults in both formal and non-formal settings. Authors combine reflections on experience, models and case studies of participatory education with commentary on key debates and issues.

Published in 1998, this is a very timely book, especially with the current global concern for sustaining socio-economic development projects through increased civil society participation. The author warns development practitioners and scholars to be careful about over prescribing community participation as a panacea to achieving project sustainability.

Looks at the critical role of community members and other interested parties in environmental policy decision making.

Ordinary people, community leaders, and even organizations and corporations still do not fully comprehend the interconnected, “big picture” dynamics of sustainability theory and action. In exploring means to become more sustainable, individuals and groups need a reference in which to frame discussions so they will be relevant, educational, and successful when implemented. This book puts ideas on sustainable communities into a conceptual framework that will promote striking, transformational effects on decision-making. In this book practitioners and community leaders will find effective, comprehensive tools and resources at their finger-tips to facilitate sustainable community development (SCD). The book content examines a diverse range of SCD methods; assessing community needs and resources; creating community visions; promoting stakeholder interest and participation; analyzing community problems; designing and facilitating strategic planning; carrying out interventions to improve