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Bailey, Sharon Kimberley. "Creating sustainable communities." Thesis, University of British Columbia, 1990. http://hdl.handle.net/2429/29922.
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The objective of this thesis is to explore the procedural and substantive changes that are required to create communities that are sustainable in ecological and social terms, both on a global and local level.
Current environmental problems such as global warming, ozone depletion, acid rain and deforestation indicate that human activity is changing the biosphere at an unprecedented rate. While the western world celebrates the apparent triumph of the capitalist industrial free market system, the by-products of industrialization, including the deteriorating health of the biosphere and the increasing demands of developing nations, appear to pose serious threats to the long term sustainability of biological communities including human communities.
A community is defined geographically by its physical structure, socially by its shared values, and politically by its capacity for self-determination. Creating a sustainable community requires that fundamental change occurs physically, to minimize a community's impact on ecological systems; socially, to establish a consensus on ecological and social values for the community; and, politically, to improve the capability of communities to implement appropriate locally-based solutions to environmental and social problems.
The fact that western society has allowed life-threatening global environmental and social problems to emerge indicates that there may be a serious flaw in the way the dominant society perceives reality and humanity's place in the world. Consequently, this thesis begins with an analysis of the flaws in the dominant world view and the potential for an emerging ecological world view to form the basis for defining a sustainable
community and establishing principles for ecological and social sustainability to guide community development.
A sustainable community is defined as a community that is responsible, caring, empowered, healthy, and most importantly, in balance with nature. While there are numerous approaches to creating sustainable communities, the choices that a community should make are clearer if the community has a set of values or principles to define the goals they are trying to achieve. The principles for ecological sustainability presented in this thesis are based on current ecological theories and reflect the need for communities to preserve biological diversity, maintain the productive capacity of ecosystems, integrate human activity with nutrient cycles, minimize resource and energy consumption, and establish a dynamic equilibrium between human and natural systems. The principles for social sustainability are based on current literature and emphasize the need for communities to change societal values, meet basic needs, achieve equity, promote self-determination, and create a sustainable economy.
This thesis proposes that creating a sustainable community involves both designing procedural mechanisms to support social transformation, and implementing substantive changes to ensure the long-term sustainability of the community. A process for change must include mechanisms to build community consensus on the need and direction of change, and to co-ordinate actions both within the community and with other levels of government. Specific examples of necessary substantive changes are provided based on the application of the principles for ecological and social sustainability to many aspects of community activity including land use planning, economic development, waste management, resource use, and transportation. A short examination of various models of sustainable community initiatives are provided to illustrate a variety of experiments in
new institutions, processes and policy proposals currently being undertaken in North America that can be drawn upon by communities trying to implement local solutions to environmental and social problems.Applied Science, Faculty of
Community and Regional Planning (SCARP), School of
Graduate
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Armstrong, Andrea Elizabeth. "Creating sustainable communities in 'NewcastleGateshead'." Thesis, Durham University, 2010. http://etheses.dur.ac.uk/393/.
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This thesis focuses on one of the most controversial and ambitious urban regeneration policies of recent years – the plan to create sustainable communities via Housing Market Renewal Pathfinders (HMRP). Announced as a ‘step change’ in urban policy to overcome problems of low demand and abandonment experienced most acutely in nine former industrial towns and cities in the north and midlands of England, the Sustainable Communities Plan (SCP) (ODPM, 2003a) involves the demolition and relocation of mainly white, working class inner-urban communities. This thesis focuses on a year long moment in the process of regeneration in one such HMRP in North East England, known as ‘Bridging NewcastleGateshead’ (BNG) and draws from rich, detailed ethnographic case studies of three former industrial communities. Originally, the thesis draws together critical engagements with the concepts of space, governance, community, sustainability and materiality to develop a relational understanding of urban regeneration. Starting with an understanding of ‘spaces of regeneration’ as spaces in the process of becoming this perspective moves beyond normative, prescriptive understandings of spaces as static and contained and subject to the process of spatial regulation from above i.e. power over. Rather than a straightforward process of spatial regulation to transform people and places, the process of regeneration involves uncertainties, negotiations, contestations and emotions between the multiple social, material, economic and environmental networks. The thesis has drawn together urban theories and empirical evidence (including historical and contemporary policy analysis as well as a range of qualitative methods) to illustrate the relational transformation of people and places. Governmentality provides the main conceptual framework. This leads to an in-depth exploration of the rationalities and technologies of urban regeneration from three perspectives in the empirical chapters - governing communities, demolishing communities and transforming communities.
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Brown, Jerri. "Sustainable Systems| Designing Sustainable Communities That Include Consideration of Human Health." Thesis, Prescott College, 2015. http://pqdtopen.proquest.com/#viewpdf?dispub=1590402.
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As societies work toward more sustainably functioning systems, it is important to study those systems that currently operate unsustainably. While unsustainability can take many forms, in general, when the natural world or human welfare are neglected, the outcome is an unsustainable system. Moving from unsustainable to sustainable systems requires dialogue and coordination between disparate disciplines. Understanding the complex hurdles associated with this emerging dialogue is essential. Current examples of the implementation of sustainability and healthy living initiatives have focused on minimizing impact to the environment by reducing energy usage. In the case of healthy living communities, the focus has been on designing neighborhoods to encourage more walking by residents or building homes designed to reduce indoor allergens. Exploring the depth and breadth of what can be done to create sustainable, healthy communities was the focus of my study. The primary objective of my research was to provide information and supporting documentation to a redevelopment project with the goal that they would include design elements that would benefit the health of the natural world and the human world.
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Carballo-Sandoval, Arturo. "Community involvement in sustainable ecotourism." Thesis, University of Reading, 2001. http://ethos.bl.uk/OrderDetails.do?uin=uk.bl.ethos.250608.
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McKeown, Paul J. "Water resilient communities (sustainable water evaluation process)." Thesis, University of Ulster, 2013. http://ethos.bl.uk/OrderDetails.do?uin=uk.bl.ethos.603577.
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Water Resilience and Water ' Security is of primary importance to society, the economy and the environment at both global and local levels and Sustainable Water Management Systems (SWMS) are acknowledged as the way forward to deliver a multifaceted approach to managing the environmental, economic, and social resource aspects of design for land development. Therefore, a process model is required to explore the linkages and implications of utilising existing ad-hoc water saving technologies such as Rainwater Harvesting, Greywater Reuse and Sustainable Drainage Systems. This study provides a balanced alternative from traditional potable water supply and flood alleviation techniques, by adopting the concept of a secondary water supply, while providing the added advantage of controlling surface water runoff. However, for an evaluation process model to succeed at the planning and design stages there is also a need to have an in-depth understanding of not only legislation and policies, but also the complex multi-variables associated with site location demographics and key stakeholder preference. This Sustainable Water Evaluation Process (SWEP) was developed to integrate these complex variables by providing a quantative, qualitative and economic model analysis, in line with best management practice, assessed against selection scenarios, as defined by the model User. During this study the sustainability awareness and attitudinal change and concerns raised by both stakeholders and expert opinion on engineering and ecological difficulties are addressed through factors that include climate change, economic benefit and social inclusion. Adaptation options within this study illustrate the importance of addressing different socio-economic development scenarios. These scenarios have been demonstrated through a UK case study, which illustrates the advantages, associated with SWMS and reduced utility reliance from the regional network. The outcome of this research demonstrates a process model that is evidence based and provides, protects and promotes the use of combined S WMS practices at the development level to meet site specific conditions. The design decisions facilitate User flexibility while providing the land use planner, developer and designer with a process model for evaluating current SWMS technologies to provide greater emphasis on improved water resource management and the socio-economic issues that address Water Resilience and Water Security at the UK National, Regional and Local levels.
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Fahmy, Bassem M. "Local communities as sustainable tourism development partners." Thesis, Oxford Brookes University, 2009. http://ethos.bl.uk/OrderDetails.do?uin=uk.bl.ethos.496017.
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The Egyptian Strategic Tourism Development Plans are trying to play an increasingly important role in supporting the hoped-for transformation of Egypt's undeveloped areas into world-class tourism destinations. This research investigated the relationship between mass-tourism development and local communities in the southern part of the Red Sea region. It has been undertaken to investigate barriers to change and assess means of promoting local communities' involvement and evaluate roles and values of their participation. The study sought to clarify the conflicts between local communities and government which result from the tourism development structure, which has neglected locals' rights. Consequently, the concept of sustainable tourism development (STD) and the interaction between tourism and environment, economy, society and culture are examined along with in depth analysis of the main characteristics influencing the host community. The investigation aims to understand the range of perception of tourism development stakeholders, so local communities, private sector parties, decision makers and tourism development facilitators such as consultants and NGOs have been investigated. Local communities' opportunities, threats, strengths and weaknesses have been explored. Under the umbrella of STD a clear vision arises of the existing conditions surrounding local communities, not only in terms of their needs and their problems but also as a means to categorize local communities' customs, intercultural and traditional life style. Recommendations aimed to secure improvements for local communities are discussed through explaining a rationale, standards, policy integration and roles for tourism development stakeholders. It is suggested that by promoting local communities' key factors and using a community-based tourism approach in the study area, local people may be empowered and problems that hinder sustainability may be addressed.
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Cohen, Paul Anthony. "Design for sustainable communities : an integral perspective." Thesis, Stellenbosch : University of Stellenbosch, 2010. http://hdl.handle.net/10019.1/4302.
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Thesis (MPhil (Sustainable Development Planning and Management))--University of Stellenbosch, 2010.ENGLISH ABSTRACT: Given the complexities facing humanity in the light of impending social and environmental collapse, it is the design of sustainable communities at all levels of our society that must be achieved to limit this potential outcome. Attaining such a goal, it is known, requires that humanity ‘consciously evolve’. Furthermore I suggest that Integral Theory, because it is grounded in the evolution of consciousness, provides an important map to help navigate this tremendous journey. In this thesis I use Integral Theory as a lens through which to understand and reflect on my experiences over the past eighteen years of the design and development of the Tlholego Village, one of the early experimental Permaculture and Ecovillage communities developed in South Africa.
AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Gegewe die kompleksiteite wat die samelewing in die gesig staar as gevolg van die dreigende sosiale en omgewings verval, is die ontwikkeling van volhoubare gemeenskappe op alle vlakke van ons samelewing noodsaaklik om so ‘n uitkoms te verhoed. Om hierdie doel te bereik word dit voorgestel dat die samelewing bewustelik moet ontwikkel (‘consciously evolve’). Verder stel ek voor dat Integraal Teorie (‘Integral Theory’), gegrond in die evolusie van bewustheid, ‘n belangrike roetekaart verskaf om die geweldige reis te navigeer. In hierdie tesis gebruik ek Integraal Teorie as ‘n lens waardeur my ervarings tydens die ontwerp en ontwikkeling van die Tlholego Village (een van die vroee eksperimentele Permakultuur en Eko-dorp gemeenskappe wat ontwikkel is in Suid Afrika oor die afgelope agtien jaar) verstaan en nabetrag kan word.
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Kerr, Sandy Andrew. "The sustainable development of small island communities." Thesis, Heriot-Watt University, 2003. http://hdl.handle.net/10399/434.
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McGinley, Tim. "A community architecture framework for designing sustainable communities." Thesis, University of Reading, 2013. http://ethos.bl.uk/OrderDetails.do?uin=uk.bl.ethos.602704.
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The Localism Act 2011 in England, provides a legislative mechanism to support participation in the planning process. Additionally, public participation geographic information systems (PPGIS) provide one approach to support public participation in planning. However, their ad hoc and context specific development approaches have resulted in tools that do not easily adapt to the needs of different communities and their diverse stakeholders. Therefore the aim of this research is to design a framework for the systematic development of an information system (IS) that can adapt to the perspective of the stakeholder and the planning context. Through the literature of: participatory design (PD); computer supported cooperative work (CSCW); human computer interaction (HCI); and enterprise architecture (EA), the limitations of previous PPGIS development approaches are identified. Based on this, EA is identified as an appropriate approach. EA frameworks (EAFs) support the development of IS features, but they require a link to organisational processes, goals and a vision. This means that EAFs in their current form have no grounding in loosely coupled organisations such as communities that have no formal processes, goals and vision . Therefore this research proposes a theoretical contribution of an adapted EAF called a 'community architecture' framework (CAF) for the systematic development of tools for a community context. Here, design science (DS) provides a research paradigm in developing the CAF as a designed artefact. To test the framework a community architecture development methodology (CADM) is proposed as a practical contribution to develop a system to support community stakeholders to participate in planning sustainable communities. The developed tool is tested on community stakeholders in Essex, UK. It is found that by using a systematic approach, it is possible to develop a PPGIS that can apply to different contexts and stakeholders. However, the limited examples presented here mean that further testing is required.
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Deakin, Mark. "Sustainable urban development." Thesis, Edinburgh Napier University, 2011. http://researchrepository.napier.ac.uk/Output/4660.
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This submission for PhD by publication aims to capture, reflect upon, analyse and offer critical insights into how the use of land and exchange of property can help serve the search for sustainable urban development (SUD). This aim is subsequently met by: • hypothesising how the applicant's publications provide a representation of SUD able to get beyond the state-of-the-art and offer a conceptual framework capable of uncovering the positive role land and property can play in sustaining urban development; • reviewing the research undertaken by the applicant to define SUD and develop a framework for analysis, set of protocols and directory of assessment methods to evaluate the sustainability of urban development; • highlighting the possibility there is for the valuation methodologies and investment appraisal techniques underlying the use of land and exchange of property, to be constructive in terms of the relationship their corporate strategies and financial instruments have to the environment; • illustrating how it is possible to compute the informational basis of property management and draw upon the intelligence this offers cities to develop electronically-enhanced services underpinned by e-learning platforms, knowledge management systems and digital libraries, capable of supporting environmental improvements; • showing how the environmental improvements that surface from such developments in turn support the community-based approach to urban regeneration which underlies the UK government's socially-inclusive and participatory venture into ecological modernisation and democratic renewal; • providing examples of where the management of property by cities is intelligent, not only because the environmental improvement supporting their community-based approach to urban regeneration are socially-inclusive and participatory, but for the reason the ecological modernisation and process of democratic renewal underlying these developments meet the sustainability requirement; • reflecting on the contribution this representation of SUD as informational, intelligent, socially-inclusive, participatory, community-based, regenerative, ecological and democratic, makes to what is known and understood about the subject. Together these positive, analytical and constructive examinations of SUD augment into the informational basis of property management and surface as the corporate strategies and financial instruments of the electronically-enhanced service models needed for cities to be intelligent. In particular, the strategies, instruments and eGov(ernment) service models, cities need to be intelligent in valuing the environment and accounting for the socially-inclusive, participatory, community-based, regenerative, ecological and democratic qualities underlying their improvement programmes.
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Haight, T. Dawn. "A process for the development of sustainable Canadian communities." Thesis, National Library of Canada = Bibliothèque nationale du Canada, 2001. http://www.collectionscanada.ca/obj/s4/f2/dsk3/ftp05/MQ61899.pdf.
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Thinagul, Chongrak. "Modelling sustainable living indicators in Thailand's cities and communities." Thesis, University of Strathclyde, 2009. http://ethos.bl.uk/OrderDetails.do?uin=uk.bl.ethos.501862.
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Larsson, Sara. "Speculative futures of sustainable communities : Utilizing the resources of collective living to speculate sustainable futures." Thesis, Linnéuniversitetet, Institutionen för design (DE), 2019. http://urn.kb.se/resolve?urn=urn:nbn:se:lnu:diva-87931.
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The purpose with this report is to speculate how our neighborhoods could look like in the future, looking at modern collective living due to the housing crisis is Sweden today. This paper will look att different forms of collective housing, to challenge the conventional way of living. Connecting sustainability to the act of sharing space and resources, in creating a collaborative lifestyle. The research methods used in this speculative project looks at three case studies of collective housing to analyse and define different levels of sharing. During the design process one intervention was executed to challenging the norm of ownership, questioning what the act of sharing demands. The goal of this project is to change assumptions of collective living by rethinking space. To create an interlaced community, with hopes of becoming more resilient. The research and its findings worked along- side the report and developed into a zine. The zine was made with key insights from the study, as a tool to communicate the design proposal and can easily be distributed to the Swedish population.
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Gao, Hongzhi. "Towards sustainable communities, environmental and resource management in Lijiang, China." Thesis, National Library of Canada = Bibliothèque nationale du Canada, 1998. http://www.collectionscanada.ca/obj/s4/f2/dsk2/tape17/PQDD_0015/MQ37533.pdf.
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Juckes, Maxey I. A. F. "One path forward? : three sustainable communities in England and Wales." Thesis, Swansea University, 2003. http://ethos.bl.uk/OrderDetails.do?uin=uk.bl.ethos.637741.
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Governments the world over are now committed to sustainability. The practical changes required to move us in a more sustainable direction are generally known. However, whilst we have the technical and financial ability to begin the shift towards sustainability, current trends continue to reverse this, exacerbating what I term the sustainability crises. There are clearly political, economic, social and cultural factors that need to be addressed if we are to approach sustainability. This study explores some of these social and cultural factors by looking at life within three case study communities. Whilst the potential for small communities to help the sustainability transition have been acknowledged for some time, there has been little detailed research into how this may work in practice. My study begins to address this gap. It applies feminist fractured foundationalism, reclaiming and reflexivity to interviews and participant observation exploring how three case study communities have been formed, maintained, experienced and understood. The case studies are: Equinox, a housing cooperative in Longsight, Manchester; Holtsfield, a semi-rural chalet community on the edge of Gower, South Wales; and Brithdir Mawr, a rural community near Newport, Pembrokshire.
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Moreno, Elizabeth Hoffecker. "Growing sustainable business communities : lessons from cities leading the way." Thesis, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, 2014. http://hdl.handle.net/1721.1/87520.
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Thesis: M.C.P., Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Department of Urban Studies and Planning, 2014.Cataloged from PDF version of thesis.
Includes bibliographical references (pages 167-177).
A new phenomenon has emerged over the past decade in a rising number of cities across America: what I am calling "sustainable business communities." These are place-based networks of independent, locally-owned businesses committed to generating social and environmental value in addition to economic value. They are prominent and increasingly influential players in the cities where they are largest, helping these cities progress towards sustainability goals and establish national reputations as sustainability leaders. Nevertheless, little is known about sustainable business communities within the academic and economic development literature, where they are still largely invisible despite their potential to play a significant role in helping cities achieve healthier, more sustainable, and more equitable local economies. This study starts to address this gap, examining sustainable business communities in five American cities where they have grown to prominence in recent years. Through interview-based case studies, I examine how these communities originated and grew over the past decade in each of these places, which vary significantly from each other in terms of size, geography, and urban context. The analysis in turn yields a fuller understanding of what these communities are, what their significance is, and the ways in which they have contributed to these cities' capacity to achieve large-scale, citywide sustainability and social equity goals. By exploring the common strategies and processes that have driven the growth of these five sustainable business communities to date, this study offers lessons and insights for city governments, economic development practitioners, and community members interested in learning how they can encourage and support the growth of their own sustainable business communities.
by Elizabeth Hoffecker Moreno.
M.C.P.
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Yang, Tian. "Towards a sustainable knowledge sharing environment for online research communities." Thesis, University of Leeds, 2005. http://etheses.whiterose.ac.uk/1333/.
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Sustainability of online knowledge-sharing communities is a major challenge at the present time. Many approaches to knowledge-sharing communities have suffered from the lack of active user participation. To explore this problem it is necessary to study both social and technical issues. In this thesis, social and economic theories have been employed to investigate users' demand and behaviour in an online knowledge-sharing environment. An empirical study was carried out using the Virtual Knowledge Park (VKP) to analyse the relationship between the level of users' participation and their perceived cost and gain. The results show that individual activity of participation was inversely proportional to his/her perceived cost over gain and the level of participation significantly correlated with the factor of mutual benefits among the users. The results suggest that the promotion of the mutual benefits may lead to increased active participation and thus a more sustainable online community. In addition, it was found from user feedback that the users were not satisfied with the flexibility and the lack of autonomy in the VKP. To improve users' flexibility and autonomy, a decentralized approach was explored. A peer-to-peer Virtual Knowledge-sharing Environment (VKSE) was developed to support knowledge-sharing in an online journal club (OJC). The application of the OJC and another decentralized VKSE (Groove) were evaluated in a set of user scenarios. It was found that decentralized VKSEs can provide the users with more flexibility, sense of ownership and control over their shared knowledge resources. However thsi approach was not as good in managing and coordinating the online community as the VKP. Drawing from the studies above, a novel infrastructure was designed. It adopts a community based knowledge market paradigm with two main concepts: agreements and transactions. The infrastructure applies a hybrid-decentralized approach, where the agreements are handled by centralized servers, and the transactions of knowledge resource are carried out in a peer-to-peer model. It is expected that the market paradigm would encourage the provision of mutual benefits to online community members thus enhancing active participation. This should improve the sustainability of online knowledge-sharing communities. Given the novelty of the technical platform and concepts required for this approach, this research has shown that it is significant to carry out further work to assess its effectiveness.
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Atwood, John. "Building a sustainable learning and development culture through communities of practice." Thesis, Pepperdine University, 2013. http://pqdtopen.proquest.com/#viewpdf?dispub=1541700.
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The world has become considerably smaller through the effects of technology, media, science, transportation, the Internet, and the spread of global commerce. There has been a great deal of discussion about how to manage knowledge and foster individual, group, and organizational learning. The purpose of this study was to investigate the practices and behaviors that led to the formation of communities of practice (CoPs) in a multinational corporation, their impact on distributed global offices, and their influence on a learning and development culture. The study addressed the following question: What impact do CoPs have on a multinational corporation's learning and development culture? Using a mixed methods research design, the study found that CoPs socialized learning throughout distributed offices, they contributed to localized learning-focused identity, and shifted the corporation's learning and development culture towards a blend of clan and adhocractic cultures.
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Barnes, Rebecca Ruth Civil & Environmental Engineering Faculty of Engineering UNSW. "Planning for sustainable water and sanitation projects in rural, developing communities." Awarded By:University of New South Wales. Civil & Environmental Engineering, 2009. http://handle.unsw.edu.au/1959.4/44507.
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Premature failure or abandonment of water or sanitation interventions in developing communities is a common phenomenon and one which is preventing potential benefits from being fully realised. While the causes of project failure are complex and varied, the literature addressing project failure implicates poor planning in many unsustained small-scale projects. In particular, a number of authors criticise planning that fails to include consideration of key sustainability areas. This thesis explores the relationship between planning for rural water and sanitation development projects and their sustainability using both ??depth?? of information gathered through a case study in rural Philippines and ??breadth?? of information gathered from key informants representing a range of regions and organisational types. Key informant interviews show the case study findings to be generally transferable between regions. Both methods illustrate the need for interpersonal relationships of trust and unity, commitment and integrity in project personnel, significant time spent in data-gathering and consensus development, creative modes of communication, ongoing contact and detailed long-term financial planning. A critical evaluation of 17 prominent, existing planning frameworks for rural water supply and sanitation projects is presented with respect to key attributes of good planning practice as identified during the case study and interviews. The evaluation reveals both strengths and inadequacies in current planning frameworks, illuminating possible causes of persistent poor planning. Finally, methods are identified by which planning processes can be improved so as to reduce the incidence of early water and sanitation project failure. An existing decision framework, the Water Services Association of Australia (WSAA) Sustainability Framework, was trialled during the Philippines Case Study. The new Planning Framework for Rural Water and Sanitation was developed as a result of the trial, the case study and the interviews. The new framework employs the primary sustainability criteria in the decision process in the form of constraints developed using participatory processes, thereby defining a safe space within which the beneficiaries may have freedom and confidence to select their desired technical solutions. Other key elements of good planning practice are incorporated, including those typically omitted by existing frameworks in the rural water and sanitation development sector.
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Fung, Tak Ching. "Sustainable fisheries and the diversity of marine communities : a theoretical investigation." Thesis, Queen's University Belfast, 2013. http://ethos.bl.uk/OrderDetails.do?uin=uk.bl.ethos.602508.
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Effective implementation of an Ecosystem Approach to Fisheries Management (EA FM) is predicated upon scientific knowledge of how fishing affects biodiversity in large marine communities with > 1 ,000 species, and how changes in biodiversity translate into changes in marine ecosystem functioning. However, existing theoretical and experimental studies have both used systems with orders of magnitude fewer species. Thus, there is a critical need for research using larger, more species-rich systems. The presented thesis addresses this key knowledge gap by developing a unique model capable of producing large model temperate shelf communities each with > 1 ,000 dynamically interacting species. Shelf communities produced from this model are used in a diverse array of in silica experiments to quantify relationships between fishing, biodiversity and marine ecosystem functioning, hitherto unattempted. Firstly, a model community is subjected to 20 fishing scenarios to examine sensitivity of size diversity indicators to fishing and their recovery. Two central results are high sensitivity of size diversity to fishing intensity but not size-selectivity or duration, and slow decadal recovery times. Secondly, 12 different fishing scenarios corresponding to the Celtic and North Seas are applied to two model communities, to predict future recovery of size diversity in these two locations. Results show that for recovery to proposed target levels, fishing intensity must be maintained below mean historical values. Thirdly, a statistical population of 10 communities is used in experiments involving random or ordered deletion of fish species, to quantify relationships between fi sh species richness, two indicators of ecosystem functioning and three indicators of stability of functioning. With decreasing richness, functioning decreased according to a Michaelis-Menten or power-law function. On the other hand, stability increased or exhibited weak trends. Important mechanisms underlying outcomes from all simulations are elucidated. Results from this thesis have important practical implications for current and future implementations of an EAFM.
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Winther, Anne M. "Survive or thrive : creating options for sustainable communities in rural Scotland." Thesis, University of Stirling, 2014. http://hdl.handle.net/1893/21186.
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Environmental and socio-economic crises are creating compelling needs for radical social change. This project investigated the options and barriers for three Scottish rural communities (Fintry, Killin and Kinlochleven) to become sustainable and thrive in a future resource-constrained world. A unique, holistic and mixed methods approach was used to assess baseline sustainability, envision and model futures and develop possible options for sustainability. Central to this investigation was the development of a strong and holistic model of a sustainable community: the sustainable community design (SCD). This framework shaped the assessment of each community’s baseline sustainability. Sustainability was measured for the ten aspects of the SCD using a scorecard approach with a basket of indicators populated by primary data (collected in a household survey) and secondary data (national statistics). Sustainable consumption was analysed using the Resources and Energy Analysis Programme (REAP) to generate each community’s ecological footprint (EF) and results were compared to current estimates of per capita world biocapacity to gauge sustainability. Even the most sustainable community was only sustainable in three out of ten of the SCD’s aspects and this community had the highest EF. Although the most deprived community had the lowest EF, it was unsustainable in all ten SCD aspects. The results reflected the heterogeneity of rural communities and complexity of sustainability measurement. The SCD scorecard approach for sustainability measurement was shown to be sensitive and robust and can be applied to rural communities across Scotland. Future visions were created in focus groups, in which participants were asked to envision what their community would need to thrive in 2030 under the scenario of peak oil and a low carbon economy. Vision ideas and examples of best practice and technological innovation were used to create narrative scenarios for modelling transport, food and energy futures. The scenarios’ EFs were calculated in REAP for three discrete levels of change: a marginal change, a step change and radical transformation. The results suggested that radical transformation is required for communities to become sustainable. Key features are likely to be re-localised and highly co-operative societies, which utilise technological innovations (such as electric cars powered by renewable energy) and share resources to maximise opportunities for living in rural areas. A community’s transformation is likely to be bespoke and require local control, requiring changes to governance and supportive policy. Key barriers identified were availability of affordable technological innovations, energy injustice, power to achieve self-determination, community governance, property rights and sustainability literacy. A process model, incorporating the SCD scorecard approach, was proposed for furthering sustainable community development and research. In taking an interdisciplinary and mixed methods approach, this study has pioneered a novel approach to the holistic enquiry of the options for creating sustainable rural communities.
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Stanton, John Sebastian. "Democracy in sustainable development : accountability and participation in Britain's local communities." Thesis, Kingston University, 2010. http://eprints.kingston.ac.uk/20288/.
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Aliyu, Ramatu. "Designing for sustainable communities : the Abuja Federal Capital Territory of Nigeria." Thesis, De Montfort University, 2016. http://hdl.handle.net/2086/13115.
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The planned Federal Capital Territory of Nigeria - Abuja is the context of this research. Abuja was conceived and conceptualised under a Master Plan designed by Kenzo Tange and Utec to replace Lagos as the new Capital City for the Federal Republic of Nigeria in 1977. This came about because of the unstructured and unplanned facilities characteristically evident in buildings, communities and some critical infrastructure in Lagos. These have combined, with the rapid rates of urbanisation, and relative to lack of supporting infrastructure and services, to render Lagos as one of the most overcrowded and dysfunctional cities in the world. Housing shortages, urban sprawl, traffic congestion, overburdened and dilapidating physical infrastructures and services, and poor quality environment have become the defining characteristics of Lagos. These were the issues that forced the idea of relocating the Capital City elsewhere in the country that resulted in Abuja’s selection as the New Capital City for Nigeria in 1977. Kenzo Tange Associates, an authority in urban design was appointed that resulted in a Master Plan to guide the development of the new city. The resultant Master Plan was designed with the specific peculiarities of Lagos in mind to avoid reoccurrence, although, the concept of environmental sustainability and development was not the preoccupation of urban design and planning in the 1970s, Abuja Master Plan incorporated the concepts, principles, and practice of sustainable development today. Nevertheless, the implementation of the Abuja Master Plan has drawn consternation from built environment professionals. Anecdotal evidences exist to suggest that Abuja is rapidly incubating all the urban problems experienced in Lagos in the 1970s. Sequel to the above therefore, this thesis aims to develop a conceptual framework that will enable Abuja develop into a 21st century functional and resilient City of sustainable communities. The view pushed in this thesis is that not only does sustainable approach to design, implementation and management of urban communities holds huge capacity for bridging urban inequalities and prudent resource management; it holds the key to the survival of cities. The main aim of the research; to produce a conceptual framework to guide the development of Abuja Capital Territory into a 21st Century City of Sustainable Communities. To accomplish this aim, a mixed method of research methodology has been used for data gathering, an approach informed by the epistemological and ontological positioning of the researcher. Data obtained were analysed using the Statistical Packages for Social Sciences (SPSSx) and the results resulted in a conceptual model illustrating ‘the road map’ to sustainable community development approach to Abuja in becoming a 21st century sustainable city. The study has successfully highlighted and resolved key issues centred around the sustainability of Abuja. It has also answered fundamental questions of whether Abuja can, and how it can develop into a 21st Century City of Sustainable Communities. Therefore, it is expected that the conceptual framework which is the outcome of this research becomes a reference manual to both urban decision makers, built environment professionals, and other stakeholders in planning the development of Abuja Capital Territory into a 21st Century City of Sustainable Communities.
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Myers, Gail Patricia. "Sustainable communities : traditions, knowledge, and adaptations among Black farmers in Ohio /." The Ohio State University, 2002. http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=osu1486402544589091.
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Bergstrom, Ryan Dennis. "Sustainable development in amenity-based communities of the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem." Diss., Kansas State University, 2012. http://hdl.handle.net/2097/13592.
Full textAbstract:
Doctor of PhilosophyDepartment of Geography
Lisa M.B. Harrington
The Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem (GYE) is a large, nearly intact ecosystem with significant protection that has often been considered an ideal location to examine coupled human-environment interactions due to the region’s complex mosaic of private and public lands, competing natural resource uses, and rapid population growth. A transition toward sustainability suggests that current societal and economic needs can be met while simultaneously maintaining the planet’s life support systems for future generations. To facilitate sustainability transitions it is imperative that the perceptions and experiences of local communities be documented. The objective of this study was to determine how residents of amenity-driven gateway communities (West Yellowstone and Red Lodge, Montana, and Jackson, Wyoming) surrounding Yellowstone and Grand Teton national parks perceive and experience their transition toward sustainability and the challenges inherent in that transition, how those perceptions inform locally produced and extra-local policies, and how institutions influence sustainability goals. Further, this study determined which factors contribute to these perceptions, and whether they differed spatially and temporally. To meet study objectives, a mixed methods approach was implemented, including the content analysis of local newspapers and key informant interviews. Content analysis of local newspapers was used to investigate decision maker and stakeholder priorities for the local and regional environment, economy, and communities, and to determine what actions had been taken to promote sustainability. A total of 193 articles from West Yellowstone News, 287 articles from Carbon County News, and 333 articles from Jackson Hole News & Guide for the ten year period 2000-2009, were analyzed. Specific focal topics varied among the newspapers/communities, but in general terms the most discussed topics in West Yellowstone during this time were focused on natural resources, economic development, community development, sustainability and conservation, and growth and development. The most discussed topics for Red Lodge were community development, government services, tourism and recreation, and growth and development. The most commonly discussed topics in Jackson were natural resources, growth and development, community development, and government services. A total of 35 semi-structured interviews were conducted with key informants in the three study communities during the summer of 2010 to allow for specific questioning and to gain additional information. Definitions of sustainability differed based on the key informant’s community, role in the community, and length of residence in the community. Overall, definitions of sustainability focused on the environment, the economy, and multi-generational or long-term thinking. The prioritization of the economy, environment, and society also differed based on community; however, there was overall recognition that each community was dependent upon the natural environment for economic vitality. In all three study communities, dependence on tourism and recreation-based industries, the lack of a diversified economy, and continued growth and development have resulted in a disconnect between perceptions, priorities, and goals as they relate to sustainability. In addition, each community was focused on multiple goals that further complicated the fulfillment of sustainability objectives. The multi-goal orientation of study communities is reflected in the multiple visions that various decision makers and stakeholders have for the community and their futures. What is needed most is a hierarchical approach to a sustainability transition, with each community setting its own, as well as ecosystem-wide, goals, objectives, and visions. Findings suggest that a transition toward sustainability is perceived and experienced differently based on local context. In the GYE, that context includes a tourism-based economy that is dependent upon the natural environment, a myriad of local, regional, national, and global stakeholders, and the presence of federal land agencies that are responsible for the sustainability of natural systems, freeing local communities to focus on the societal and economic dimensions of sustainability. A transition toward sustainability will be manifested differently in the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem, and potentially other communities adjacent to protected lands, than it is other areas because of its unique milieu. While the close proximity of federal lands, including Yellowstone National Park, may complicate the sustainability discourse at times and may, in certain instances, add additional challenges through extra-local control of change, these same federal lands may also favor a transition toward sustainability in amenity-driven gateway communities. In addition, the disparate socio-economic conditions present in study communities, as well as extra-local institutions and agencies, directly influence, and may at times further complicate, a transition toward sustainability. This study is based on the theory that in order to successfully transition toward sustainability, a better understanding of coupled human and natural systems is critical, and because of the close couplings between human and natural systems in the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem, and because of the unique challenges and conflicts present in the region, the GYE is an ideal location to study human-environment interactions. The use-inspired orientation of sustainability science aims to provide tangible, real-world, and place-based understanding of a transition toward sustainability. The contribution of this study to the field of sustainability science is the understanding that, while sustainability visions, goals, and objectives may be similar across a region, consideration of local contexts affecting goals and perceptions provides valuable insights that may inform sustainability pathways at local scales and, as a result, provide deeper understanding of global sustainability. One of these insights is that communities that seemingly have much in common due to their shared region, physical environmental surroundings, and history, the specific concerns to ensure place-based sustainability can show variability. Another important point from this research is that, while most depictions of sustainability are focused on three elements—the economy, society, and the environment—individuals also key in on multigenerational concerns.
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Stokes, Debra Mary. "Indigenous communities sustainable development framework for LNG developments in Northwest B.C." Thesis, University of British Columbia, 2017. http://hdl.handle.net/2429/63268.
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The extractives sector has the obligation to contribute to sustainable development in areas where resource exploitation occurs. Fulfilling this expectation is challenging in resource-dependent towns, that are periodically exposed to boom-bust dynamics. In northwest British Columbia, several large Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) terminal projects have been proposed, involving high capital costs and several thousand workers for the construction phase. Indigenous Peoples are often negatively affected by such large developments, as their culture and sustenance is tied to the land and water. Many of these peoples are also unable to benefit from such developments, due to a lack of support mechanisms and the necessary training or education required for good paying jobs. This study investigates how large resource developments can contribute to sustainability in B.C. First Nations communities by finding ways to enhance benefits and minimize impacts from boom-bust dynamics. Two socio-economic surveys were conducted with the Kitsumkalum First Nation, which is one of the Tsimshian Tribes potentially affected by LNG developments. Additionally, 31 interviews were conducted with LNG, mining, government, economic development and First Nations representatives, from which common themes were identified and ranked. Results showed that although high school graduation rates (16% to 34%), university education rates (4.5% to 7.3%), and unemployment rates, (29.2% to 17.2%) have improved for on-reserve Kitsumkalum members between 2006 and 2016, many continue to struggle economically. Education, training and employment (ETE) was collectively ranked by all interviewed sectors as the most important for First Nations to move towards a sustainable future, while all sectors individually ranked ETE as No. 1, except for First Nations, who ranked the removal of social barriers as No. 1 and ETE as No. 2. The need for good governance to roadmap effective changes was ranked No. 2, while the need to remove social barriers was ranked No. 3 by all sectors. In light of these results, a new framework was proposed, which incorporates the need for community characterization, a strategic sustainable development plan, good governance, and improved shared decision making and partnerships, in order to better facilitate sustainable development of Indigenous communities within the context of large-scale resource developments.Applied Science, Faculty of
Mining Engineering, Keevil Institute of
Graduate
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Greenius, Leigh, Elsa Jagniecki, and Kati Thompson. "Moving Towards Sustainable Community Renewable Energy : A Strategic Approach for Communities." Thesis, Blekinge Tekniska Högskola, Sektionen för ingenjörsvetenskap, 2010. http://urn.kb.se/resolve?urn=urn:nbn:se:bth-2609.
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The developed world relies on an enormous supply of electricity and heat energy to power countless daily activities, predominantly using non-renewable fossil fuels. Although this energy assists people in meeting their basic human needs, the way in which it is produced is at odds with the ability of people to continue to meet their needs in the future. The current trend towards renewable energy generation in the developed world that involves community members is a positive step away from current unsustainable energy practices. A Strategic Sustainable Development (SSD) approach helps to guide planning and decision making by using a vision of a sustainable energy future to assist in undertaking strategic actions. To offer practical support to communities wanting to work towards sustainable energy generation, this research combines the experience of communities undertaking Community Renewable Energy projects with an SSD approach, producing a Sustainable Community Renewable Energy Tool.
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Franceys, Richard W. A. "Infrastructure for low-income communities : an investigation into the provision of sustainable physical infrastructure for low-income communities in low-income countries." Thesis, Loughborough University, 1991. https://dspace.lboro.ac.uk/2134/28052.
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Physical infrastructure is required for health and security. Physical infrastructure also plays a significant role in development and economic growth. It may be seen as the foundation on which the expansion of agricultural production and subsequently industrial production takes place. Both of these are required to generate sustainable economic growth to support social welfare. This thesis examines methods of enabling low-income households and communities in low-income ('developing') countries to benefit from physical infrastructure.
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Cohen, Samantha Rebecca. "Ecovillages as models for sustainable urban neighborhoods : design guidelines and methods for understanding, analyzing and designing sustainable communities." Thesis, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, 2017. http://hdl.handle.net/1721.1/111380.
Full textAbstract:
Thesis: M.C.P., Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Department of Urban Studies and Planning, 2017.Cataloged from PDF version of thesis.
Includes bibliographical references (pages 98-101).
Ecovillages, which are grassroots intentional communities focused on the shared values of environmental sustainability and community-building, offer an alternative to traditional development primarily focused on developer profit, which creates incentives to build cheaply with little consideration for sustainability, reducing operating costs, creation of community or innovation in building techniques. The problem with modem development practices is that there is an absence of truly sustainable, community-oriented housing options on the market that are economically empowering, socially just, and which enhance the ecology of place by building all forms of capital-- economic capital, social capital, and environmental capital. Ecovillages provide a solution to this, as well as many other 'wicked' problems our society faces-they are blueprints for how communities can live sustainably. This thesis explores the best practices in ecovillage urban design in urbanized and rural settings to improve the design of current and future ecovillages and to use as a design model communities or designers in building sustainable communities, as urban design is inherently linked to sustainability. Through the creation of a matrix of sustainable urban design strategies, this can be used to compare various ecovillages and sustainable communities to understand and analyze how values are embodied in the physical site design or constrained by urban site conditions, and give a process and design guidelines to designers and communities looking to create sustainable neighborhoods or ecovillages.
by Samantha Rebecca Cohen.
M.C.P.
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Seyfang, Gill. "Green money from the grassroots : local exchange trading schemes and sustainable development." Thesis, Leeds Beckett University, 1998. http://ethos.bl.uk/OrderDetails.do?uin=uk.bl.ethos.263996.
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Cleary, Shawn A. "Sustainable Drinking Water Treatment for Small Communities Using Multistage Slow Sand Filtration." Thesis, University of Waterloo, 2005. http://hdl.handle.net/10012/926.
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Slow sand filtration is a proven and sustainable technology for drinking water treatment in small communities. The process, however, is sensitive to lower water temperatures that can lead to decreased biological treatment, and high raw water turbidity levels that can lead to premature clogging of the filter and frequent cleaning requirements, resulting in increased risk of pathogen breakthrough.
Multistage filtration, consisting of roughing filtration followed by slow sand filtration, can overcome these treatment limitations and provide a robust treatment alternative for surface water sources of variable water quality in northern climates, which typically experience water temperatures ranging down to 2°C. Prior to this study, however, multistage filtration had yet to be systematically challenged in colder climates, including testing of its performance under increased hydraulic loadings and elevated influent turbidity together with cold water conditions.
The primary goal of this research was to demonstrate the reliability of multistage filtration for small communities in northern climates with reference to the Ontario Safe Drinking Water Act. In this research, testing was conducted on two different pilot multistage filtration systems and fed with water from the Grand River, a municipally and agriculturally impacted river in Southern Ontario. One system featured pre-ozonation and post-granular activated carbon (GAC) stages, and shallower bed depths in the roughing filter and slow sand filter. The other system featured deeper bed depths in the roughing filter and slow sand filter, two parallel roughing filters of different design for comparison, and a second stage of slow sand filtration for increased robustness.
Removal of turbidity, total coliforms, and fecal coliforms under a range of influent turbidities (1 to >100 NTU), water temperatures (~2 to 20°C), and hydraulic loading rates (0. 2 to 0. 8 m/h) were investigated. In addition, the slow sand filters in each pilot system were challenged with high concentrations (~106 oocyst/L) of inactivated Cryptosporidium parvum oocysts.
The performance of both pilot multistage filtration systems was highly dependent on the biological maturity of the system and its hydraulic loading rate. In a less mature system operating in cold water conditions (<5°C), effluent turbidity was mostly below 0. 5 NTU during periods of stable influent turbidity (no runoff events) and a hydraulic loading of 0. 4 m/h, however, runoff events of high influent turbidity (>50 NTU), increased hydraulic loadings (0. 6 m/h), and filter cleaning occasionally resulted in effluent turbidity above 1 NTU. Furthermore, in a less mature system operating during runoff events of high turbidity, reducing the hydraulic loading rate to 0. 2 m/h was important for achieving effluent turbidity below 1 NTU.
However, in a more mature system operating in warm water conditions (19-22°C), effluent turbidity was consistently below 0. 3 NTU at a hydraulic loading rate of 0. 4 m/h, and below 0. 5 NTU at 0. 8 m/h, despite numerous events of high influent turbidity (>25 NTU). It remains to be seen whether this performance could be sustained in colder water temperatures with a fully mature filter. Removal of coliform bacteria was occasionally incomplete in a less mature multistage system, whereas, in a more mature system operating in warm water conditions (>9°C), removal was complete in all measurements. Furthermore, the average removal of Cryptosporidium was greater than 2. 5 logs in both systems (with hydraulic loading rates ranging from 0. 4 to 0. 8 m/h) and improved with increased filter maturity.
Each individual stage of the multistage system was an important treatment barrier in the overall process of turbidity and pathogen removal. The roughing filter was not only important for protecting the slow sand filter from solids loading and increasing its run length, but was also a significant contributor to coliform removal when the system was less mature. Removal of turbidity was significantly improved when the roughing filter was more mature, suggesting that biological treatment was an important treatment mechanism in the roughing filter. Although pre-ozonation was used mainly for the removal of organic carbon and colour, it achieved complete removal of coliform bacteria and was also suspected to be important for enhanced removal of turbidity. The second slow sand filter in series provided additional robustness to the process by reducing effluent turbidity to below 1 NTU during cold water runoff events of high turbidity and increased hydraulic loadings (0. 6 m/h), while achieving effluent below 0. 3 NTU during normal periods of operation. It also provided additional removals of coliforms under challenging operating conditions, and contributed an additional average removal of Cryptosporidium of 0. 8 logs, which resulted in cumulative removal of 3. 7 logs, approximately 1 log greater than all the other challenge tests.
Collectively, the entire multistage system performed well with water temperatures ranging down to 2°C, limited filter maturity, elevated raw water turbidities, and increased hydraulic loading rates. Its ability to meet the current Ontario turbidity regulations and greater than 2 log removal of Cryptosporidium over a range of operating conditions, with little or no process adjustment, is a testament to the robustness and minimal maintenance requirements of the process, which are desirable attributes for small water systems that are often located in rural areas. While this research demonstrated the performance of multistage filtration using pilot scale testing, it is important to note that full-scale plants tend to produce significantly better results than pilot facilities, due to long term biological maturation of the system.
Overall, multistage filtration is a sustainable and cost-effective technology that, through this research, appears to be a safe, reliable, and robust treatment alternative for small and non-municipal water systems in North America and the developing world. Further, based on its performance with challenging influent water quality and cold water conditions, multistage filtration holds particular promise for small communities in northern climates that are required to meet safe drinking water regulations, but are dependent on surface water sources of variable water quality and temperatures.
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com, jpayakpate@gmail, and Janjira Payakpate. "Knowledge Management Platform for Promoting Sustainable Energy Technologies in Rural Thai Communities." Murdoch University, 2008. http://wwwlib.murdoch.edu.au/adt/browse/view/adt-MU20081203.115333.
Full textAbstract:
Sustainable energy services aim to meet the energy demands and to improve the living standards of rural communities with the utilization of sustainable energy technologies. Such services are becoming increasingly important due to the reduction of traditional energy resources and the ongoing increase in the demands. The demands are mainly due to the growth of population, domestic consumptions and industrial uses. In addition, increasing awareness of issues such as global warming, carbon emission, peak oil and the need for a sustainable environment has kindled keen interests in sustainable energy around the world. Many projects on sustainable energy services have been launched and particularly in developing countries. In most areas, at least one type of sustainable energy resources is available. In the case of Thailand, in additional to resources such as solar and wind, there are other sustainable energy resources in the forms of biomass and waste residue from agricultural products. However, there exist practical problems hindering the success of many sustainable energy projects. Two key reasons are the lack of in depth knowledge regarding the sustainable energy systems among the local users, and the limited budgets for planning, research and development. Therefore, the need to promote better understanding of sustainable energy technologies is necessary in order to gain better utilization of the energy services and acceptance by the community. One possible solution is the use of a Knowledge Management System (KMS). Based on advanced Information and Communication Technology (ICT), the integration of knowledge management and web technologies has enabled KMS to be developed as an effective tool for the sharing, management and dissemination of valuable knowledge on any particular subject. This combination has the potential to promote the knowledge and initiate relevant activities thereby enabling the acquisition and management of diverse types of information and data. Typical functions and services which could be provided are: checking updated information on sustainable energy resources around a particular area; teaching of sustainable energy systems development and maintenance processes; sharing of best practices and lessons learned
etc. With the availability of the internet, a Web-based KMS will be a valuable channel for the gathering, sharing, extracting and dissemination of knowledge about the sustainable energy services for the Thai communities. This thesis presents the research and development of a knowledge management (KM) platform for sustainable energy technologies. The system is implemented with web GIS server-side application and it is installed at the School of Renewable Energy Technology, Naresuan University, Phitsanulok, Thailand. To assess the effectiveness of the developed system, surveys in the form of pre-questionnaires and post-questionnaires from the users are used. Such information is used to determine the effectiveness of the system and to measure the improvement of the participants knowledge on the subject. There are three groups of participants involved in this study: local government administrators, researchers and general users. The overall results of the questionnaires reveal that the participants are satisfied with the performance of the KM platform. The results also indicated that the KM platform provides adequate knowledge on the subject and it has a high level of user friendliness. It was found that the participants knowledge is also increased and the increase is in proportion to the time they engaged with the KM platform. A linear regression analysis of the researchers and local government administrators has shown that the increment of the participants knowledge has a linear relationship with the learning period on the KM platform with statistical significance. Findings from this study can be used as a guideline and for further development on improving the local Thai communities knowledge on sustainable energy technologies.
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Payakpate, Janjira. "Knowledge management platform for promoting sustainable energy technologies in rural Thai communities." Payakpate, Janjira (2008) Knowledge management platform for promoting sustainable energy technologies in rural Thai communities. PhD thesis, Murdoch University, 2008. http://researchrepository.murdoch.edu.au/426/.
Full textAbstract:
Sustainable energy services aim to meet the energy demands and to improve the living standards of rural communities with the utilization of sustainable energy technologies. Such services are becoming increasingly important due to the reduction of traditional energy resources and the ongoing increase in the demands. The demands are mainly due to the growth of population, domestic consumptions and industrial uses. In addition, increasing awareness of issues such as global warming, carbon emission, peak oil and the need for a sustainable environment has kindled keen interests in sustainable energy around the world. Many projects on sustainable energy services have been launched and particularly in developing countries. In most areas, at least one type of sustainable energy resources is available. In the case of Thailand, in additional to resources such as solar and wind, there are other sustainable energy resources in the forms of biomass and waste residue from agricultural products. However, there exist practical problems hindering the success of many sustainable energy projects. Two key reasons are the lack of in depth knowledge regarding the sustainable energy systems among the local users, and the limited budgets for planning, research and development. Therefore, the need to promote better understanding of sustainable energy technologies is necessary in order to gain better utilization of the energy services and acceptance by the community. One possible solution is the use of a Knowledge Management System (KMS). Based on advanced Information and Communication Technology (ICT), the integration of knowledge management and web technologies has enabled KMS to be developed as an effective tool for the sharing, management and dissemination of valuable knowledge on any particular subject. This combination has the potential to promote the knowledge and initiate relevant activities thereby enabling the acquisition and management of diverse types of information and data. Typical functions and services which could be provided are: checking updated information on sustainable energy resources around a particular area; teaching of sustainable energy systems development and maintenance processes; sharing of best practices and lessons learned etc. With the availability of the internet, a Web-based KMS will be a valuable channel for the gathering, sharing, extracting and dissemination of knowledge about the sustainable energy services for the Thai communities.
This thesis presents the research and development of a knowledge management (KM) platform for sustainable energy technologies. The system is implemented with web GIS server-side application and it is installed at the School of Renewable Energy Technology, Naresuan University, Phitsanulok, Thailand. To assess the effectiveness of the developed system, surveys in the form of pre-questionnaires and post-questionnaires from the users are used. Such information is used to determine the effectiveness of the system and to measure the improvement of the participants' knowledge on the subject. There are three groups of participants involved in this study: local government administrators, researchers and general users. The overall results of the questionnaires reveal that the participants are satisfied with the performance of the KM platform. The results also indicated that the KM platform provides adequate knowledge on the subject and it has a high level of user friendliness. It was found that the participants' knowledge is also increased and the increase is in proportion to the time they engaged with the KM platform. A linear regression analysis of the researchers and local government administrators has shown that the increment of the participants' knowledge has a linear relationship with the learning period on the KM platform with statistical significance. Findings from this study can be used as a guideline and for further development on improving the local Thai communities' knowledge on sustainable energy technologies.
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Kusakabe, E. "Renascent social capital in Japanese communities : networks for building a sustainable society." Thesis, University College London (University of London), 2011. http://discovery.ucl.ac.uk/1306760/.
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For efforts to build ‘sustainable cities’, citizens’ broad and deep involvement is required in addition to an institutional incentive structure provided by central government. In Japan machizukuri (local community making) is a contemporary development in social movements which tries out various ways of sustainable-community making. This thesis explores the process of social capital accumulation in the Japanese context and investigates through machizukuri case studies: 1. whether active citizen participation makes a difference in the progress towards sustainability; 2. what role local government should play in the process, and 3. how it is possible to build a sustainable society by connecting the efforts of different localities. It concludes through qualitative and quantitative examination, using regression and network analysis, that involving citizens in policy and project development makes a difference in the level of achievement of sustainability goals. However, it suggests that the existence of social capital alone does not deliver as expected. Bonding social capital helps collective learning and solidarity creation within communities. Bridging social capital expands networks and helps information-flow between communities but may not necessarily lead to achievement of the common goal. To achieve sustainable development goals, bracing social capital is necessary to connect vibrant yet fragmented bonding and bridging social capital networks; it expedites goal sharing and resource flows among various communities, and makes the extent of goal achievement greater. By identifying the functions bracing social capital plays, the study suggests that social capital can operate for achieving a sustainable society not just in a closed community, as was suggested by Coleman (1988), but also in an open-type community. To start the process of achieving a sustainable society, there are roles for local government to play; creating an environment in which citizens empower themselves is one.
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Cameron, Lewis J. "Energy 'access' for sustainable development : enabling modern energy practices in rural communities." Thesis, University of Sheffield, 2017. http://etheses.whiterose.ac.uk/18337/.
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Modern energy services are a foundation for sustainable development. As recently acknowledged by the multilaterally supported UNDP’s ‘energy access for all’ objective, it is a missing cog for the socio-economic, empowerment, livelihood enhancement and sustainability of more than 2 billion people in developing and less developed countries. Efforts to provide modern energy services, however, face pervasive challenges reflective of wider development efforts, establishing the imperative for greater understanding of their underlying dimensions as a basis for enhancing sustainable development pathways. The thesis pursues this through ethnographic studies of innovative and contrasting energy access pathways in remote areas of Nepal. These were supported by preliminary site visits, semi-structured interviews, participant observation and observant participation with a range of key development actors, led by a reflexive, multi-sited research approach. The research reveals that the challenges and opportunities of effective energy access and sustainable development are embedded in under-recognised social routines and contexts that subsume essential dimensions of daily life. These are dynamic, multi-actor and interconnected through routinised codes, performances and institutions for which social emotions, meanings and relations are integral. Interventions, technologies and impacts interdepend on these mundane interactions and structures, signifying the vital role of social agency and conventions in everyday life. ‘Access’ is a constant (re)negotiation of these within a socio-technical context. The findings demonstrate the value of integrating these dimensions into development approaches through being attentive to, and co-produced by, the plurality of actors, settings and routines. A practice theory informed approach supported the analysis to signify further distinctive policy, research and pathway implications. The thesis thus demonstrates the potential of a social practice approach for enabling a more sensitive and effective framework for enabling energy access for sustainable development.
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Díaz, Pacia. "Pursuing Resilience of Coastal Communities Through Sustainable and Integrated Urban Water Management." Scholar Commons, 2018. https://scholarcommons.usf.edu/etd/7497.
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Reliability of water supply in the urban setting has become essential for communities to function and thrive. It is needed for more than mere human consumption and well-being. Although modern cities have water treatment and distribution systems, pressures from urbanization, population growth and the anticipated pressures of climate change are affecting the quality of water supply and the reliability of treatment and distribution systems. There is therefore an urgent need to take appropriate measures to improve the resilience of water supply systems before the impacts are irreversible.
Improving the resilience of water supply systems can be a challenge. In the United States, there is increased awareness of aging, overtaxed and under designed water infrastructure. To date, resilience planning has been principally focused on improving preparedness and the restoration of critical services in communities following extreme events, such as hurricanes, earthquakes or terrorism, and less so on the slow-moving consequences of climate change, perceived as a less urgent threat. All these issues – increased pressure of urbanization and population growth, deteriorating infrastructure, together with the consequences the impacts of climate change may have on water systems and the apathetic view of the need for action – are what make the development of a solution difficult.
This research proposes Integrated Urban Water Management as a new water management paradigm as one that can withstand contemporary issues as well as future climate threats, while increasing water supply resilience for communities. This research (1) focuses on analyzing the urban water cycle for potential vulnerabilities, (2) seeks to understand the benefits and challenges of integrating water infrastructure, (3) tests the level of sustainability in an IUWM system, (4) identifies critical thresholds ‘slow-moving’ climate change on water supply infrastructure, (5) performs a system-wide water and salt balance and (6) tests the system for resilience to salt water intrusion.
Since coastal communities are subject to higher population densities, demands on resources, and exposed to greater threats than inland communities, this project utilizes a coastal community with integrated water infrastructure as a basis to better understand the benefits as well as the potential challenges of the proposed future paradigm (IUWM).
The results of this research show that IUWM offers many options for sustainable practices as well as adaptability, a key aspect of resilience. The conclusions drawn from the scoping study, case study and modeling of water and salt flows within the urban water cycle offer relevant and transferable lessons for water management in coastal cities while they approach uncertain and alternative climate futures.
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Walters, Melvin. "Repercussions of the Mechanistic Dehumanization of Muslim Americans, Resilience, and Sustainable Communities." ScholarWorks, 2019. https://scholarworks.waldenu.edu/dissertations/7767.
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There is a lack of research on the relationship between dehumanization of minority religious groups and affiliation with terrorism, which suggests a need to consider the consequences of dehumanization perceptions beyond promoting aggression. This qualitative case study addresses whether dehumanization embedded in public policies influences Muslim Americans 18 to 25 years of age, native and nonnative, to engage in homegrown terrorism. Using Schneider and Ingram’s social constructions of target populations as the foundation, research questions focused on how perceptions of mechanistic dehumanization in policy design influence homegrown terrorism among Muslim- American adults. Data were acquired through archival data that included historical documents, artifacts, and recorded testimonies of U.S. senior policymakers and organizations. These data were inductively coded, and through thematic analysis, Muslim Americans’ opinions and experiences with mechanistic dehumanization in policy settings were examined. Key themes indicated that during the early stages of the War on Terror, Americans dehumanized U.S. Muslims, which corresponded to support for exclusionary policies. However, there were no indications of modification to target group political orientation. The implications for positive social change include recommendations to policy makers to reevaluate social and public policies for Muslim Americans, counterterrorism practitioners, and scholars to avoid unfocused and unjust policies that impose collateral damage against all Muslims and not the intended targets of international extremists.
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Ebeneku-Anim, Frederick, Ingrid Jacobson, Margaret McRoberts, and Pierre Munyura. "Building Sustainable Urban Communities : Can a common participatory space offer a solution?" Thesis, Blekinge Tekniska Högskola, Avdelningen för maskinteknik, 2005. http://urn.kb.se/resolve?urn=urn:nbn:se:bth-4114.
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Globalization and rapid urbanization in the developing world have been contributing greatly to a current unsustainable reality. In order to move towards a sustainable society, the strength of people working collectively as a community must be recognized and harnessed to begin making changes from the bottom up. This thesis will examine how a common participatory space has the potential to become a community hub, and to foster participatory dialogue, negotiation and decision-making within urban communities of poverty. After examining the current reality, including present development practices, this research strives to find universal elements for a common participatory space where vision building and strategic community action can flourish. This study also examines the processes needed to engage community members in the cultivation, creation and maintenance of a common participatory space.
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Bernstein, Autumn Rachel. "Technical Assistance for Disadvantaged Communities Seeking Grant Funding| A Case Study of the Affordable Housing and Sustainable Communities Program." Thesis, University of California, Davis, 2018. http://pqdtopen.proquest.com/#viewpdf?dispub=10681478.
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Disadvantaged communities in California and across the US encounter unique barriers to attracting competitive funding for affordable housing, economic development, sustainability initiatives and other needs. This paper examines an effort underway in California to overcome these barriers by providing subsidized technical assistance to disadvantaged communities that apply for certain cap and trade-funded grant programs. Specifically, we evaluate the effectiveness of California’s technical assistance (TA) pilot run by the California Strategic Growth Council (SGC) for the Affordable Housing & Sustainable Communities (AHSC) Grant Program. We find that applicants who received comprehensive technical assistance, such as the services provided by the SGC TA pilot, enjoyed a strong competitive advantage over those who do not receive assistance. We also find evidence that projects aimed at serving disadvantaged communities see greater benefits from technical assistance than projects in more affluent communities.
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Massart, Frédéric, and J. B. Matthews. "Pieces to a Puzzle : – Towards a Synergy of Sustainable Community Development Frameworks." Thesis, Umeå University, Umeå School of Business, 2007. http://urn.kb.se/resolve?urn=urn:nbn:se:umu:diva-1250.
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In response to the myriad of problems confronting society including climatic changes on our planet numerous individuals, organizations, and governments are reinventing themselves forging a new pathway towards a more sustainable future. Facilitated by a variety of different conferences, initiatives, and strategies an increasing global trend has focused on the urban context addressing environmental, economic, and economic issues by developing sustainable communities. Sustainable communities are commonly guided in this process by a pre-existing framework formed on an underlying set of principles, ideas, and stages.
Worldwide, a variety of frameworks exist. At first glance, the frameworks may appear to have certain advantages over others in respect to their area of focus. For instance, some of the frameworks appear to place a focus on the physical built environment of communities as opposed to other which may accentuate ongoing community participation and collaboration. Although, numerous organizations and networks claim to be committed to the shared learning experiences of sustainable communities little published literature has emerged considering the opportunity of using multiple frameworks or considered integrating portions of the frameworks together. The purpose of this study is to compare three commonly implemented frameworks against eleven elements viewed, as integral to the development of sustainable communities to determine what opportunities may exist for collaboration/ integration of frameworks when developing sustainable communities. Based on previous research and literature these elements include community change process, stakeholder identification and evaluation, strategic planning, education; environmental, economic, and social responsibility, built environment and green design, sustainability indicators and evaluation tools, local government, and knowledge transfer. From these elements a conceptual framework has been developed on which a comparison of the Natural Step Framework, New Urbanism, and the Melbourne Principles has been conducted.
Through a deductive research approach five interviews have been conducted with experts in the field of sustainable community development on which a number of advantages and disadvantages have been identified with these frameworks. These have included advantages acknowledging frameworks provide a common platform to begin speaking about issues related to sustainability. However, a noted disadvantage is that frameworks fail to account for and incorporate the majority of stakeholders who comprise communities. While the frameworks due appear quite diverse in the way they approach developing sustainable communities as well as what they view sustainable communities as being by seeking to limit the gaps of these views through continuous learning, education and the transfer of knowledge opportunities do exist for the collaboration and integration of frameworks.
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Collis, John Trifon. "The sustainable development of Benoa Bay an ecosystem approach /." Waterloo, Ont. : University Consortium of the Environment, 1993. http://books.google.com/books?id=qUkoAAAAMAAJ.
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Castro, Carlos J. "Contesting sustainable development : capitalist underdevelopment and resistance in the fishing communities of Pearl Lagoon, Nicaragua /." view abstract or download file of text, 2004. http://wwwlib.umi.com/cr/uoregon/fullcit?p3120614.
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Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of Oregon, 2004.Typescript. Includes vita and abstract. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 247-261). Also available for download via the World Wide Web; free to University of Oregon users.
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Silk, Victoria. "Social capital and sustainability in a Newfoundland fishing community." Thesis, University of British Columbia, 2007. http://hdl.handle.net/2429/349.
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The intent of this thesis is to conduct an empirical study of social capital in a single resource dependent fishing community, Petty Harbour, Newfoundland. The community under study, Petty Harbour, has a 335 year attachment to what was its primary fishery, Northern cod (Gadus morhua). This ended in 1992 when the Canadian government implemented an indefinite moratorium on Northern cod. Historically the community has exhibited high levels of activism aimed for the most part at protectionism of its primary economic mainstay, the fishery. Social capital by definition implies available resources embedded in social structures such as informal networks that can be accessed and mobilized by individuals or groups for either personal or communal gain (Coleman, 1988; Putnam, 2000; Krishna, 2002; Onyx, 2005). High levels of social capital can lead to collective activism, which according to some, is the single most important contributing factor to sustainability because without activism, an outcome of social capital, there maybe no hope for recovery and sustainability. My hypothesis is that the extent to which one is socially connected through network ties to close friends and/or family (structural social capital) and the level of trust in neighbors (cognitive social capital) will positively correlate with their involvement with activism. Leadership and sense of ownership are introduced as additional independent variables to further explore explanations for the community's level of collective activism and stewardship of the resource. Treating activism as a dependent variable, I am going to examine social capital indicators, suggesting network ties (weak, strong) as independent variables that can partially explain the historically high level of activism. I am also going to propose that the independent variables leadership and sense of ownership will also positively correlate with activism.
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Preston, Sheila. "Theatre for development in context : exploring the possibilities and contradictions of visions of theatre and development within the action of community." Thesis, University of Winchester, 2000. http://ethos.bl.uk/OrderDetails.do?uin=uk.bl.ethos.341380.
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This study is research into practice, concerned with locating a critical perspective into the possibilities of drama in achieving sustainable development within communities. This qualitative research approach draws on action-research paradigms, ethnographic techniques and drama methodologies to create in depth analysis of the facilitation and action of community drama within case study contexts. The case study contexts were drawn from the field of mental health provision and the context of self-advocacy for people with learning difficulties. Drama and video workshops were facilitated within these groups between periods of 9 - 18 months. Participants were involved from three groups including a women's group and a male orientated group within mental health provision, and a group for young adults with learning difficulties within a self advocacy project. This thesis contributes to knowledge in the field of Theatre for Development and UK community based drama in the following ways: The thesis suggests that previous assumptions and claims as to the 'success' of community drama projects need closer, critical interrogation. Analysis of the field work reveals that 'visions' of theatre and development face conflict when positioned in context, as both the nature and action of community is itself contested and ambivalent. The relationship of the facilitator role to other involved parties is given specific interrogation. The role and persona of the facilitator as a key player is identified, and demonstrated as such throughout the thesis through adoption of self-reflexive strategies of writing. It becomes clear that the radical, pedagogic intent of the drama process to foster collective ownership through the critical addressing and the representation of issues pertinent to a group's social reality, is questioned by those involved at various levels in the process. In exploring the nature of drama and video representations as resistance and intervention, sites of personal resistance and 'counter' interventions are illuminated. However, the reality of resistance is also bound up within the complexity of identity politics where the consequences of 'coming out' and accepting a label can become both a liberatory and oppressive experience. In chapter eight the continual difficulty of sustainability is examined and critiqued in the light of key issues identified within the previous chapters. Finally, the thesis assesses the substantive issues in relation to current discourses in cultural theory. By resisting opportunities to prescribe models and techniques thus reproducing the discourses critiqued this study culminates with optimism. Developing creative frameworks, that genuinely engage with contradiction and the complicated politics of context, are deemed as critical conditions for practices.
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Larocque, G. R. "Principles of sustainable development, applications in the planning and design of residential communities." Thesis, National Library of Canada = Bibliothèque nationale du Canada, 2000. http://www.collectionscanada.ca/obj/s4/f2/dsk1/tape4/PQDD_0020/MQ57670.pdf.
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Peredo, Ana Maria. "Communal enterprises, sustainable development and the alleviation of poverty in rural Andean communities." Thesis, National Library of Canada = Bibliothèque nationale du Canada, 2001. http://www.collectionscanada.ca/obj/s4/f2/dsk3/ftp05/NQ64833.pdf.
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Nduna, Joyce Nothemba. "Environmental education for sustainable communities by adult practitioners in a black urban community." Thesis, Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University, 2000. http://hdl.handle.net/10019.1/51744.
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Thesis (Ph.D.)--Stellenbosch University, 2000.ENGLISH ABSTRACT: Within the broad theoretical context provided by debates and policies on curriculum development and current approaches in adult and environmental education, this study attempted to improve my own practice by making a meaningful contribution towards the professional development and conceptual understanding of student teachers who have registered for a three-year National Diploma in Adult Basic Education and Training (ABET) at the Peninsula Technikon in Cape Town. Although these students have no teaching qualifications, they are involved in community literacy education for disadvantaged people in various communities and in non-governmental education centres. The professional development and conceptual understanding of the students with regard to sustainability as a key environmental concept was effected by focusing on the concepts, and applying the processes of environmental education for sustainability (EEFS) in the teaching and learning process. In an attempt to integrate theory and practice the student teachers took action in community-based environmental projects organised by the Tsoga Environmental Resource Centre in Langa, Cape Town. The idea was that they should apply their acquired skills and understanding of sustained environments and teach adult learners to transform their local environments through their literacy classes. This means integration of adult literacy with environmental or ecological literacy The interviews and observations of the students at work in the community were not only aimed at providing feedback for the purposes of future programme design but also at monitoring what the students did with their learning experiences regarding EEFS as a theme, in a different teaching situation (adult literacy classes). In the final analysis, the present study attempted to clear up conceptual misunderstandings and to show that education processes are as important as its content and outcomes. It has attempted to operationalise curriculum approaches, recommended for environmental sustainability, in a practical way. The study as a whole is set within the general literature of both adult and environmental education, and particularly that of curriculum and student development for social transformation.
AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Binne die breë teoretiese raamwerk van diskoers en nasionale beleidsdokumente ten opsigte van kurrikulumontwikkeling, en huidige benaderings tot volwasse en omgewingsopvoeding poog hierdie studie om my eie praktyk te verbeter deur 'n betekenisvolle bydrae te lewer tot die professionele ohtwikkeling, en konseptueie begrip van studentonderwysers wat ingeskryf is vir 'n drie-jaar Nasionale Diploma in Volwasse Basiese Onderwys aan die Skiereilandse Tegnikon in Kaapstad. Alhoewel hierdie studente oor geen formele onderwyskwalifikasies beskik nie is hulle betrokke in geletterdheidsopvoeding onder benadeelde gemeenskappe en in nieregeringsentra. Die professionele ontwikkeling en konseptueie begrip van die studente ten opsigte van volhoubaarheid as 'n sentrale omgewingskonsep is ondersoek deur te fokus op die kernbegrippe, en die aanwending van prosesse eie aan omgewingsopvoeding vir volhoubaarheid (OOW) in leer en onderrigprosesse. In 'n poging om teorie en praktyk te integreer is studente aangemoeding om betrokke te raak in verskeie gemeenskapsgebaseerde projekte wat deur die Tsoga Omgewingsentrum in Langa, Kaapstad georganiseer word. Die idee hiermee was dat hulle ontwikkelende vaardighede en begrip ten opsigte van volhoubare gemeenskappe sal aanwend deurdat terwyl hulle volwasse leerders leer lees en skryf, hulle terselfdertyd sal bydra tot die transformasie van hulle gemeenskappe. Dit beteken integrasie van volwasse geletterdheid met omgewings of ekologiese geletterdheid. Onderhoude met, en waarnemings van die studente tydens hulle werk in die onderskeie gemeenskappe is gedoen nie alleen met die oog op programontwikkeling nie, maar ook met die oog op monitering van die verskillende wyses waarop studente hulle eie leerervarings in (OOVV) hulle praktyk in 'n ander konteks (volwasse geletterdsheidsklasse) beïnvloed en verryk. By wyse van samevatting kan gesê word dat hierdie studie ondersoek ingestel het na wanpersepsies ten opsigte van omgewingskonsepte en hoe dit aangespreek kan word, en aangetoon het dat ook in hierdie konteks, onderwys prosesse net so belangrik soos inhoud en uitkomstes is. Verder is kurrikulumbenaderings wat vir OOW ontwikkel is ondersoek en in konteks van Volwasse Basiese Onderwys geoperasionaliseer. Die studie as geheel is gesetel binne die algemene literatuur van beide volwasse en omgewings opvoedkunde, en in besonder die van kurrikulum en studente ontwikkeling vir sosial transformasie.
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Larocque, G. R. (Gerald Robert) Carleton University Dissertation Geography. "Principles of sustainable development; applications in the planning and design of residential communities." Ottawa, 2000.
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Larsson, Tereza, and Charity Mashegede. "Small and Medium-sized Enterprises (SMEs) : Towards the development of socially sustainable communities." Thesis, Högskolan i Skövde, Institutionen för handel och företagande, 2019. http://urn.kb.se/resolve?urn=urn:nbn:se:his:diva-17042.
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Background: Ever since the Brundtland Commission stressed that Social Sustainability (SS) issues are often ignored, there has been mounting research on social sustainability (Boström, Vifell, Klintman, Soneryd, Hallström & Thedvall, 2015). Companies are now addressing sustainability concerns more broadly because of the increasing demand and pressure from society demanding they deal with the negative social impacts associated with their products and activities. This study is delimited to SMEs. While individual SMEs are naturally smaller and have less impact on sustainability than larger businesses, their involvement is important in achieving national SS targets (Weingaertner & Moberg, 2011). Sustainability is often regarded as the privilege of large corporations since they have sufficient funds to improve their carbon footprint (Rodgers, 2010). The activities of SMEs are not well understood and documented, including their entrepreneurial start-ups within communities, of which some are entirely based on sustainable principles (Rodgers, 2010). Given that SMEs play an important role towards sustainable development, understanding the underlying mechanisms of why SMEs are committed to SS within communities is an important research topic. Purpose: The purpose of this study is to investigate how SMEs facilitate the ability of communities to develop socially sustainable practices that not only satisfy the requirements of current members but also support the ability of future generations to maintain sustainable communities. Method: Due to the limited literature in social sustainability in the context of SMEs embedded in diverse communities, this thesis employs an exploratory research design together with qualitative and abductive approaches. Qualitative content analysis is used in coding and analysing the empirical findings, and the abductive approach is used in developing an extended framework of social sustainability. Conclusion: The aim of this study was to gain insight into the initiatives implemented by SMEs towards socially sustainable communities and the obstacles they face. Through qualitative research in different sectors of the economy (agriculture, construction, service, retail, manufacturing) and different countries, an empirical understanding of how SMEs engage in social sustainability initiatives was derived. The empirical findings resulted in the extension of a social sustainability framework proposed by Eizenberg and Jabareen (2017). In the extended framework, community social capital was added as the fifth concept of SS and its main components include human capital, social capital, social cohesion, social inclusion, natural capital and philanthropic capital. The variety of sectors and countries enabled us to take into account contextual differences and develop an international view of social sustainability concepts relevant for communities.Bakgrund: Ända sedan Brundtland kommissionen betonade att SS-frågor ofta ignorerades, har det förekommit forskning om social hållbarhet (Boström, Vifell, Klintman, Soneryd, Hallström & Thedvall, 2015). Företagen är nu pressade att ta itu med sociala hållbarhetsfrågor och denna studie fokuserar på små och medelstora företag. Medan enskilda små och medelstora företag är naturligt mindre och har mindre inverkan på hållbarhetsarbetet än de större företagen, är deras engagemang viktigt för att uppnå nationella SS mål (Weingaertner & Moberg, 2011). Hållbarhet betraktas ofta som ett privilegium för stora företag eftersom de har tillräckliga medel för att förbättra sitt koldioxidavtryck (Rodgers, 2010). De små och medelstora företagens verksamhet är inte väl förstådd och dokumenterad, inklusive företagsetableringar inom samhällen, av vilka vissa är helt baserade på hållbara principer (Rodgers, 2010). Med tanke på att små och medelstora företag spelar en viktig roll för en hållbar utveckling är det viktigt att förstå de bakomliggande mekanismerna bakom varför små och medelstora företag är engagerade i SS inom samhällen. Syfte: Syftet med denna studie är att undersöka hur små och medelstora företag kan främja en samhällelig förmåga att utveckla socialt hållbara metoder som inte bara tillfredsställer de nuvarande medlemmarnas behov utan också stöder framtida generationers förmåga att bibehålla en hållbar samhällen. Metod: På grund av den begränsade litteraturen om social hållbarhet inom ramen för små och medelstora företag i samhället, använder denna avhandling en explorativ forsknings design tillsammans med kvalitativa och abduktiva metoder. Den kvalitativa innehållsanalysen används vid kodning och analys av empiriska fynd, och den abduktiva metoden används för att utveckla en utvidgad ram för social hållbarhet inom samhällen. Slutsats: Syftet med denna studie var att få insikt i de initiativ som små och medelstora företag genomför för socialt hållbara samhällen och de hinder de står inför. Genom kvalitativ forskning inom olika sektorer av ekonomin (jordbruk, byggande, service, detaljhandel, tillverkning) och olika länder, har en empirisk förståelse för hur små och medelstora företag engagerar sig i sociala hållbarhets initiativ härletts. De empiriska rönen resulterade i en utvidgning av en social hållbarhetsram som föreslogs av Eizenberg och Jabareen (2017). I den utvidgade ramen infördes samhälleligt kapital som det femte konceptet för SS och dess huvudkomponenter är humankapital, socialt kapital, social sammanhållning, social integration, naturkapital och filantropiska kapital. Mångfalden av sektorer och länder gjorde det möjligt för oss att ta hänsyn till kontextuella skillnader och utveckla en internationell syn på sociala hållbarhets begrepp som är relevanta för samhällen.
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Salazar, Preece Gonzalo. "Co-designing in love : towards the emergence and conservation of human sustainable communities." Thesis, University of Dundee, 2011. https://discovery.dundee.ac.uk/en/studentTheses/88b698a0-e0f2-4d15-9082-dd488839d246.
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This work is part of a wider personal and eco-cultural wondering about how to restore and conserve the pleasure of living aligned with the ecology of life. There is a growing concern that one of the biggest challenges we have is to generate sustainable communities. Based on this, the research particularly deals with the following two questions: What is ecological design? And, how does Ecological Design both emerge from, and contribute to, the constitution and conservation of human sustainable communities in our Western-European culture? The research proposes that the only way to understand the practice of ecological design is by dealing with the broader dynamics of human ecology—or, ultimately with what it means to be a human being. Based on a systemic, interdisciplinary and multidisciplinary approach, the research first explores the phenomenological and bio-cognitive dynamics that generate an ongoing, embodied–ecological epistemology of the human-Nature relationship, thereby overcoming the modern dualism of mind-body and man-nature. It suggests that design ineluctably takes place in this embodied-ecological domain—particularly, in an ongoing eco-cultural network of interactions. Then it explores the emotional basis of human intentionality and behaviour and, based on the work of the biologist Humberto Maturana, proposes that human beings exist in a dynamic interweaving of languaging and emotioning in an eco-cultural medium. This is synthesized through the notion of conversation. The research claims that to design is to converse. Based on this, the research then explores biological and philosophical accounts of the emotion of loving. By exploring basic elements of a synthesis of the ecology of loving, the research suggests that this emotion is the only one that allows the emergence and cultivation of intimate socio-ecological relationships. Accordingly, it also argues that loving is the foundation of environmental ethics and ultimately, the practice of ecological design. The research also explores the conscious sense and practice of homing (or home-making). It argues that homing and loving are interdependent; they form a circular causality—homing-in-love. The research suggests that homing-in-love is what we do when we design ecologically. Finally, the research explores a general framework that may contribute to the process of recovering the vital dynamics of homing-in-love in a global age. In a four-month ethnographic investigation of three Western-European ecovillages, the research explores particular designed platforms of conversation as examples of the practice of ecological design from which more sustainable manner of homing are emerging and being cultivated.