The concept of sustainability has gained traction within Canadian planning efforts in recent years. As such, there is a need to measure progress toward sustainability goals; it was found that sustainability indicators are the recommended tool to perform such measurement. The literature also articulated the potential for core community sustainability indicators. The concept of transferability was produced to describe the ability of indicators, domains, and scoring processes to be relevant between communities (horizontal transferability) and various levels of governance (vertical transferability). Hence, the objectives of this research were to create a set of community sustainability indicators, domains, and a scoring methodology for use in a Canadian Community Sustainability Indicator Framework. In attempt to achieve these objectives, first a document review of four existing Canadian community sustainability indicator sets and their domains. This review produced a preliminary set of community sustainability indicators and domains, the latter of which were used in the interviews that followed. The document review also introduced a scoring methodology from MMM Group: The Complete Mobility (CM) scoring methodology. Interview communities were chosen from across Canada using criteria to include different geographical areas, community sizes, and economic/population conditions. Interviewees were from academic, government, or non-government organizations. Interviews followed a loose interview guide with the objectives of gaining insight into interviewee perceptions on sustainability indicators, domains, and scoring processes. Specifically they were asked to evaluate the preliminary set of community sustainability indicator domains and CM scoring methodology, both found in the document review. Synthesis of the results from the document review, the interviews, and the literature review found that there are benefits associated with, and a desire for a transferable community sustainability framework within Canada. The preliminary set of community sustainability indicator domains found complete acceptance in the interviews, and three newly proposed domains. The concept of scoring had varied opinions; however, in those interviewees who desired scoring, the CM methodology was well liked. A proposed framework for a CCSIF as well as other potentially emergent concepts and affirmed academic assertions were also presented in this thesis. Further research into many of these concepts, both emergent and not, was proposed.

The concept of sustainability has gained traction within Canadian planning efforts in recent years. As such, there is a need to measure progress toward sustainability goals; it was found that sustainability indicators are the recommended tool to perform such measurement. The literature also articulated the potential for core community sustainability indicators. The concept of transferability was produced to describe the ability of indicators, domains, and scoring processes to be relevant between communities (horizontal transferability) and various levels of governance (vertical transferability). Hence, the objectives of this research were to create a set of community sustainability indicators, domains, and a scoring methodology for use in a Canadian Community Sustainability Indicator Framework. In attempt to achieve these objectives, first a document review of four existing Canadian community sustainability indicator sets and their domains. This review produced a preliminary set of community sustainability indicators and domains, the latter of which were used in the interviews that followed. The document review also introduced a scoring methodology from MMM Group: The Complete Mobility (CM) scoring methodology. Interview communities were chosen from across Canada using criteria to include different geographical areas, community sizes, and economic/population conditions. Interviewees were from academic, government, or non-government organizations. Interviews followed a loose interview guide with the objectives of gaining insight into interviewee perceptions on sustainability indicators, domains, and scoring processes. Specifically they were asked to evaluate the preliminary set of community sustainability indicator domains and CM scoring methodology, both found in the document review. Synthesis of the results from the document review, the interviews, and the literature review found that there are benefits associated with, and a desire for a transferable community sustainability framework within Canada. The preliminary set of community sustainability indicator domains found complete acceptance in the interviews, and three newly proposed domains. The concept of scoring had varied opinions; however, in those interviewees who desired scoring, the CM methodology was well liked. A proposed framework for a CCSIF as well as other potentially emergent concepts and affirmed academic assertions were also presented in this thesis. Further research into many of these concepts, both emergent and not, was proposed.

The purpose of this research is to measure impacts on environmental constraint areas due to the presence of new suburban populations, to assess attitudes and behaviours of residents toward greenspaces incorporated into the design of the community and to attempt to project if the City of Waterloo’s vision for suburban development in the proximity of environmentally sensitive lands is being realized. Analysis includes the results of a mail survey for a sample of 600 households from three subdivision developments on the West Side of Waterloo, stratified according to the proximity to an environmentally significant forest in the study area. Similar questions posed to the sampled West Side residents were also included in the biennial K-W Area Study 2005 which included 2000 households in order to acquire a level of comparison between residents living on the West Side of Waterloo and the rest of the twin cities. Unstructured, open-ended interviews were conducted to gain insight into the normative practices, beliefs, and value structures of residents. Observational fieldwork data of the study area highlights encroachment and environmental stewardship in the environmentally sensitive area. Findings and conclusions suggest a very positive citizen response to the inclusion of an environmental amenity in the subdivision design but at the same time a continuation of adverse environmental impacts resulting from population growth, and minimal suburban lifestyle change in this community which aspired to incorporate the principles of new urbanism.

The purpose of this research is to measure impacts on environmental constraint areas due to the presence of new suburban populations, to assess attitudes and behaviours of residents toward greenspaces incorporated into the design of the community and to attempt to project if the City of Waterloo’s vision for suburban development in the proximity of environmentally sensitive lands is being realized. Analysis includes the results of a mail survey for a sample of 600 households from three subdivision developments on the West Side of Waterloo, stratified according to the proximity to an environmentally significant forest in the study area. Similar questions posed to the sampled West Side residents were also included in the biennial K-W Area Study 2005 which included 2000 households in order to acquire a level of comparison between residents living on the West Side of Waterloo and the rest of the twin cities. Unstructured, open-ended interviews were conducted to gain insight into the normative practices, beliefs, and value structures of residents. Observational fieldwork data of the study area highlights encroachment and environmental stewardship in the environmentally sensitive area. Findings and conclusions suggest a very positive citizen response to the inclusion of an environmental amenity in the subdivision design but at the same time a continuation of adverse environmental impacts resulting from population growth, and minimal suburban lifestyle change in this community which aspired to incorporate the principles of new urbanism.

This thesis aims to contribute new understandings of community sustainability through a detailed case study of public sector and community relations within Cornwall. The Look Group Network is a multi-layered public sector and community adult informal learning partnership project which sought to connect Tate St Ives, a national art gallery operating in the far west of the UK, with new audiences. The case study situates together informal learning, community and sustainability and explores their interdependence. The study comprised participant observation with the Look Group members, semi-structured partner interviews, contextual research including a review of the social and political theory of community and an evaluation of relevant sustainable community and informal learning policy. The research aims to identify the underlying conditions which contributed to the sustainability of the Look Groups over a four year period and to assess to what extent these conditions could be transferred to other communities. The original contribution of this project to the existing research literature is in the application of Complexity Theory to empirical data to enable an understanding of the systemic dynamics that contribute to sustainability and in the development of method in the consideration of community and group dynamics.

No description available.

This paper examines an effort to develop community capacity to engage in sustainability planning as part of a Peace Corps Municipal Services Development project in Areguá, Paraguay. It sketches the context in which the initiative occurred, outlines relevant academic research on community sustainability planning, and describes the strategies adopted to assist Areguá in securing the critical mass of community capacity necessary to engage in sustainability planning. The paper concludes with an outline of continuing challenges for sustainability in Areguá and a description of means by which those concerns might be addressed. / Master of Urban and Regional Planning

While discussions on the capacity of food tourism on promoting and maintaining the sustainability of host community have recently gained interest in tourism academia, the intersection between food events, tourism and sustainability need to be explored in a greater depth. This study focuses on place identity formation and examines how Ölands Skördefest shapes local residents’ place identity. In-depth interviews conducted with business representatives and tourism department members are themed analyzed through the lend of Identity Process Theory (IPT). The results illustrate how Ölands Skördefest shapes five components of place identity, and in particular how respondents felt about distinctiveness, belonging and self-efficacy. The study offers an understanding of how Ölands Skördefest contributes to promoting community sustainability through strengthening local place identity.

The purpose of this qualitative study was to explore the leadership practices of principals who sustain professional learning communities. The study was conducted using semistructured interviews with 2 elementary school principals from a noted professional learning community district in Henderson, Kentucky. A Professional Learning Community Assessment Survey was completed by the teachers in both elementary schools. Photographs of each school and a review of school documents triangulated the research of these 2 professional learning communities. In interviews the principals described their roles in: (1) defining a professional learning community or PLC, (2) supporting and sustaining a PLC, (3) supporting professional dialogue opportunities in a PLC, and (4) identifying shareholders as an essential element in successful professional learning communities. The teacher surveys helped to confirm the principals' perceptions and the roles of the principals in supporting and sustaining a professional learning community. The teachers defined the principal's role in supporting and sustaining a professional learning community as (1) involving staff in decisions, (2) incorporating teachers' advice to make decisions, (3) providing staff members access to key information, (4) the principal being proactive, (5) enabling staff members to initiate change, (6) sharing responsibility and rewards, (7) sharing power and authority, and (8) promoting and nurturing leadership. The effective leadership practices of both principals support successful and sustainable professional learning communities. The triangulation of data reinforced these conclusions: (1) both principals have effective leadership practices that support and sustain a PLC, (2) the majority of teachers from both schools who participated in the survey overwhelmingly approve of the leadership practices of their principals, (3) continued improvement in student assessment results over a period of years support the practices of the principals, and (4) effective leadership practices strengthen the professional learning concept of supporting and encouraging continued student and teacher progress. The results from this study were intended as a reference for principals and school districts concerning the effective practices of principals to support and sustain professional learning communities.