Leaders of the Pack: An analysis of the Canadian 'Sustainable Communities' 2000 municipal competition

‘Back of the Envelope’: Pragmatic Planning for Sustainable Rural Community Development

“…This concept prioritizes the role of local governments in implementing sustainable development. Best practice research consistently cites the importance of local government leadership (for example, Parkinson & Roseland, 2002); however, Mercer and Jotkowitz (2000, p. 170) remind us that even with the conceptual underpinnings of the Local Agenda 21 framework, their study revealed 'enormous variation in the way ''environmental issues'' are defined in the various reports by individual local government authorities. '…”

“…While the terrain of sustainable development is generally understood, its application to rural community development and planning remains sparse and highly variable (Audirac, 1997;Parkinson & Roseland, 2002). There is a tendency in the literature to view rural as 'not urban' or to generalize the application of concepts and processes despite the very real FIGURE 1.…”

“…The importance of public participation is a commonly cited best practice in the literature for realizing sustainable planning objectives (Mercer & Jotkowitz, 2000;Parkinson & Roseland, 2002). Various iterations of the development literature indicate that involving local people in the development processes that will affect their lives yields a variety of positive effects that enhance implementation (Bryant & Preston, 1989).…”

“…(Devuyst & Hens, 2000, p. 90) There are a variety of dimensions to consider when assessing community planning capacity, including expertise, access to information and the ability to mobilize a critical mass of individuals willing to engage with and sustain ongoing planning processes. The literature identifies rural communities as facing challenges in each of these areas, leading Parkinson and Roseland (2002) to suggest that they serve as reasons for why rural communities are less likely than their urban counterparts to engage in sustainable community development projects.…”

“…However, while many communities have incorporated sustainable development principles into their community vision statements and decision-making processes, few have succeeded in translating their high-level goals and objectives into tangible projects and actionable implementation strategies (Dale, 2001;Parkinson & Roseland 2002;Gahin et al, 2003). In short, an implementation gap prevents communities from capitalizing on the many known and proven sustainable techniques and technologies (operating within Canada and internationally) that could significantly contribute to addressing our infrastructure deficit in a way that prepares Canadian communities for the challenges and opportunities of the 21st century.…”