“Retooling” for the New West: Environmental NGOs, Planning, and Governance Regimes

The Rural Planning Perspective at an Opportune Time

“…Included in this issue, for example, was a piece by J. P. Groot (1962) of the Netherlands arguing for social planning to be considered alongside physical planning in rural communities. Fast forwarding to the 2010s, the current rural planning literature spans the North American, European, and Australian continents, with studies concentrated on issues of governance and politics intertwined with mechanisms for fostering community sustainability, resiliency, and voice (e.g., Crowe 2011; Beebe and Wheeler 2012; Compas 2012; McManus et al 2012; Marquardt, Mollers, and Buchenrieder 2012; Taylor 2012; Trabalzi and De Rosa 2012).…”

“…Less formally, partnerships and social networks between community groups, local jurisdictions, government agencies, nonprofits, universities, and the private sector are commonly recommended and attempted for rural planning and development (Sargent et al 1991; Edwards 1998; Drabenstott, Novack, and Weiler 2004; O’Toole and Burdess 2005; Dabson et al 2012; McDonald et al 2013). The literature has long observed the role of regional councils of governments in providing planning assistance to rural communities (Clavel 1970), and in some recent cases, nonprofit organizations, such as environmental groups, are providing rural jurisdictions with planning information and services (Compas 2012). Scholars report that one of the most successful, widespread, and long-running “bridging organizations” between universities and rural communities is the US Cooperative Extension System, whereby county extension offices run local programs and provide technical assistance to citizens and farmers, which includes rural planning support (Drabenstott, Novack, and Weiler 2004; Brugger, Crimmins, and Owens 2011).…”

Canadian news media and the cultural dynamics of multilevel climate governance

“…In the horizontal dimension, environmental policy emerges from interactions among an increasing variety of competing and allied social actors, including governments, corporations, civil society organisations, experts, and citizens (Bailey et al 2012, Compas 2012, Rootes et al 2012, Stoett 2012, Hobson 2013, Spaargaren and Mol 2013. Research on the horizontal dimensions of environmental governance focuses on how inclusive or exclusive governance processes are, and how narrowly governments limit the potential for participants to influence policy outcomes (Parkins andDavidson 2008, Van Alstine et al 2013).…”

The interplay between knowledge and governance: Insights from the governance of recreational boating in the Dutch Wadden Sea area, 1981–2014

“…As a consequence, power, competences, and responsibilities are redistributed among the actors involved (Berkes, 2010;Lockwood et al, 2010). Secondly, environmental governance often takes place in a variety of political arenas and levels beyond the boundaries of the traditional governmental institutions of the nation-state (Buizer et al, 2011;Compas, 2012).…”