There is an urgent need to have leaders who are able to strategically transition society towards sustainability. Evidence shows that challenges are mounting up and become increasingly complex. Education for Sustainable Development (ESD) aims to educate leaders to become competent to lead within the sustainability challenge we are facing. This thesis explores how leadership education can prepare teachers to become leaders to enable Strategic Sustainable Development (SSD). Based on interviews with ESD experts, the research team identified eight key competencies for leaders to enable Strategic Sustainable Development and eight pedagogical approaches to train such competencies. In addition to that, the research team analyzed how the case study organization Teach for Austria (TFA) integrates the identified key competencies and pedagogical approaches. Recommendations are provided indicating TFA’s opportunities regarding a more thorough integration of the key competencies and pedagogical approaches into their leadership education. These recommendations were then made relevant to the broader leadership education context to prepare teachers to lead. The main outcomes of this thesis intend to serve as a guidance to enable leadership the world needs.

As a response to the growing global sustainability challenges related to industrial agriculture, alternative approaches of food production and distribution are emerging. One approach that fosters direct consumer-producer relationships and sustainable local food production is known as Community Supported Agriculture (CSA). This study explored how the CSA movement can be supported strategically towards a flourishing movement in Europe. A qualitative research approach was chosen with a comparative element of the two countries with contrastive characteristics in terms of the degree of successfulness of the movement; with France being successful and Sweden having less success in terms of the number of CSAs. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 21 CSA farmers, network members and researchers. The results revealed barriers and enablers for a flourishing movement under five overarching themes: (1) Definition, structure and operation (2) The direction of the movement (3) Social aspects (4) Knowledge and communication, and (5) Country-/region-specific aspects. Crucial factors and contrastive features between countries were identified and discussed in relation to how they hinder or enable a flourishing movement. Based on the findings, strategic guidelines were developed with the aim of contributing to CSA practitioners and leaders in Europe.

Cities present many opportunities to improve socio-ecological sustainability through efficiencies of scale and access to resources and services. These benefits are often compromised by rapidly increasing urban populations demanding energy, water, resources and food that are sourced, produced and transported from rural areas in unsustainable ways. A systems level approach to understanding the complex challenges cities face is required to strategically plan for the future. Rooftop agriculture is one measure that can help address many sustainability problems cities are currently faced with. Our research aims to identify the role rooftop agriculture can play in moving society towards sustainability, the challenges it currently faces that may prevent it from being widely implemented, and how to overcome these challenges. To structure our research, we used the Framework for Strategic Sustainable Development (FSSD), a scientifically rigorous and peer reviewed model designed to manage the complexity of planning and decision-making towards sustainability. The culmination of this paper was the creation of a Sustainable Rooftop Agriculture Guide, a practical resource that can help city stakeholders determine how to best use rooftop agriculture in their movement towards sustainability.

The development of the human built environment is an essential component to achieving and maintaining a sustainable society. Much has been done to develop tools, techniques and approaches for creating ‘green’ or ‘sustainable’ neighbourhoods yet they rarely demonstrate the capacity to address the wider socio-ecological requirements for achieving success. This paper studies the current approaches to green design and planning, proposes a new approach called Needs Based Design (NBD), and identifies the gaps that exist between the two. Results indicate that NBD is based on a firm foundation, is widely applicable, and can support and spur regional sustainable development initiatives and positive behaviour change within communities. It fills three major gaps identified in current green design by utilising systems thinking and a shared language and framework, and focusing on the needs of individuals within communities. Concerns exist, however, about its reliance on broad community participation and ongoing education. In theory, NBD allows project teams to implement their work within the context of a strategic sustainable development perspective. Recommended now is practical application and testing. / Both a Master's thesis and an introductory guide, as a supplement to the thesis, are included. / <p>Natalie Haltrich 144 1st Boulevard Terrasse-Vaudreuil Quebec J7V 5T1 Canada</p>

This research aimed to find strategic methods in community engagement related to regional sustainable development, specifically within the context of regions in Europe and North America that are applying for the UNESCO Biosphere Reserve designation. The Framework for Strategic Sustainable Development was presented as a planning framework that can fill gaps in the current Biosphere Reserve planning process. A tool for assessing community engagement based on the five Process Characteristics of transparency, cooperation, openness, inclusiveness, and involvement was created and used to explore community engagement practices in six UNESCO Biosphere Reserve regions in Sweden and Canada. The assessment of methods used in those six regions yielded a list of nine methods which stood out in contributing to community engagement.

Since the dawn of humanity design has influenced human life. Today, facing the depletion of the socio-ecological system, increasing complex problems threaten humanity’s existence. Design has been a contributor to creating such problems, yet with appropriate tools can become a source for solutions. Design Thinking (DT) was identified as a possible approach that could contribute to Strategic Sustainable Development (SSD). The purpose of this thesis is to examine potential contributors and hindrances of the DT process with regards to SSD, and create a prototype for an integrated process that could help achieve more strategic and sustainable outcomes. With the use of the Framework for Strategic Sustainable Development (FSSD) as a lens to examine the above, along with interviews, Action Research and expert feedback, an integrated process was created. Results of the interviews and FSSD analysis helped shape two prototypes that were examined through the mentioned methods. It was indicated by participants of the Action Research and by experts that the prototype could help reach a strategic and sustainable outcome, and further refinement should be pursued. The final prototype is presented as part of the discussion, suggesting additional tools and actions that if included could create a possible Sustainable DT (SDT) process.

Human society as a whole has a reached a tipping point in its relationship with the socio-ecological systems upon which it depends. All sectors of society need to be involved in addressing this crucial challenge through a raised awareness of the issues and pro-active solutions to it. This research focuses on small urban towns and cities, where half the world’s urban population lives, and looks at the ways in which local government in these key areas can play an active role in leading sustainability through education and training. Municipalities and communities that use the framework for strategic sustainable development (FSSD) were investigated, and the conditions were identified that helped and hindered training to be really effective. Effective training, in its many forms, was found to be essential in fomenting a common language of sustainability, engaging the community, and bringing concerted strategic actions that together could foster a culture of sustainability. / <p>jpbaronb@yahoo.co.uk, rifat.pal@gmail.com, quynhvan86@gmail.com</p>

The aim of this research was to understand what elements should be considered in the construction of a pre-disaster recovery plan in order to move society towards sustainability during post-disaster recovery after a natural hazard event. A conceptual framework for Pre-disaster recovery planning (Pre-DRP) based on the Framework for Strategic Sustainable Development (FSSD) was developed and critiqued by professionals in disaster management, resilience thinking, and sustainability in order to collect qualitative data to make the tool more rigorous and applicable to its intended audience. The revised framework, called the Pre-Disaster Recovery Planning Framework for Strategic Sustainable Development (Pre-DRP FSSD), includes a broad set of principles, planning strategies and guidelines, specifically designed to help communities become more resilient to disasters and move towards sustainability through Pre-DRP. As such, the Pre-DRP FSSD may help emergency planners at various levels of government to implement some of the strategic guidelines set out in the Hyogo Framework for Action 2005-2015.

This research aims to shed insights and produce supportive tools to help stimulate the design of education programs. First a characterization of opportunities and challenges for education programs is given from a global sustainability standpoint. Second a characterization of what education programs may contain and take into account from a full sustainability standpoint, as an outline of education programs in a desired future at a principle level, is provided to help inspire purpose-led education services organizations. Third an outline of possible tools and strategies to help strategically close the gap between the current unsustainable state and the desired sustainable future is provided. A special focus is put on the Template for Sustainable Product Development (TSPD) process tool, originally used to help industries in their production chain, but here adapted as the “Sustainability Potential” Express Strategic Assessment for Education Programs to benefit education programs stakeholders. The authors also propose a set of three abilities acting in synergy: Creativity, “Knowledge Making” &amp; “Open Values” (CKMOV) that are at the heart of Strategic Sustainable Development and thus may help form three equally vital pillars, which education programs may strategically take support from while helping society transition to a sustainable equilibrium. / <p>+86 13637758331</p>

This is a supplement to the thesis entitled &quot;Co-creating community with a Needs Based approach to design and planning&quot;, by the same authors. It is meant as an introduction to Needs Based Design, for practical application my developers, designers, planners, architects, municipal governments and all others planning the development of a community.