Environmental problems such as pollution and overconsumption is something that is mentioned often in the news as this thesis is written. Food waste is a problem that causes valuable resources to be lost, as on average one third of all food globally is being wasted. The food chain is complicated, from the farm to the table, and innovations in all parts of the chain could help reduce the waste. We have aimed our scope to the end of the chain, when food is made at a restaurants to be served to customers. Figures say that about 23% of food in the restaurant business in Sweden is being wasted. To try to solve this problem, we have turned to service design and the methodologies presented there, to find a potential solution that could help reduce food waste. An extensive service design process was made with many interviews with restaurants to find where a solution could be made. The whole design process is presented in the report, and the final concept resolves around a sustainable lunch dish that can be made out of ingredients that would otherwise be thrown out. The dish would be sold at lunch restaurants for a reduced price since it is cheap to make, and would make more people act sustainable. A concept test was made to evaluate the the sustainable dish concept with the help from the public. The main question was: Is this concept something that could be adopted by people who buy lunch on a regular basis in Sweden? The concept test resulted in 165 respondents that were asked what they would choose to eat from a given menu. 32% chose the sustainable dish, and although biases were believed to have played a role in the decision, the concept was deemed successful. A website was then designed, aimed towards restaurants that wanted to adopt the concept and to get started in an easy way.

Small region sustainability is an extremely important part of the journey to sustainability of the global population, as the most difference can be made at this spatial level through decision making and community choice. However, small regions have not been the focus of sustainability literature. Therefore, this thesis develops theory to explain what small region sustainability involves and tested the applicability of current sustainability assessment methods to find an effective tool for the journey to sustainability that can be used for social learning, decision making, policy development, research and monitoring of sustainability in small regions. It was found through the development of a model of sustainable carrying capacity and the major pressures of human activities on the environment, that sustainability for small regions means living equitably with the impacts of human activities in the region within the limits of its ecosystems. This thesis also found that none of the current sustainability methods tested were effective or useful as a tool for small regions. Therefore, a new sustainability assessment method was developed, the Sustainable Carrying Capacity Assessment (SCCA), which assesses the equitability and size of the major pressures that the human activities are causing and determines if this pressure exceeds the sustainable carrying capacity of the region, and thus, the sustainability of the population. Thus, for small regions to become sustainable, they must live equitably within the sustainable carrying capacity of the region's ecosystems, and a tool that can help them achieve this is the SCCA. By raising social awareness, guiding policy development and decision making this method can help guide small regions, and other spatial levels on their journey to sustainability. Therefore, it is recommended that Local Government Areas, Regional Organisation of Councils, schools, local community groups and anyone who wants to learn more about sustainability use this method. This thesis, therefore, makes a significant contribution to the field of sustainability.

It is increasingly being recognised that global natural resource consumption levels exceed planetary limits and that the present trajectory of industrial development is not sustainable. To achieve a more viable existence necessitates a fundamental shift in priorities from the prevailing economic growth-centred, consumer driven philosophy to one that marries aspirations for economic growth with long-term environmental and social considerations. This shift in priorities requires significant contributions and action at the global, national and local levels by the primary 'wheels' of sustainability: government, corporations and civil society. Over the past 100 years, corporations have become the most powerful institution on the planet with both the financial resources and institutional capacity to take the lead role in shaping a sustainable future for humankind. Yet, within and between industry sectors and across geographic locations there has been great diversity in the extent and level of corporate commitment and engagement in societal efforts relating to planetary sustainability. Hence, greater understanding of what drives corporate interest and involvement in ecological sustainability will become increasingly critical to promoting corporate engagement in processes and practices to secure a long-term future for humanity. However, there has been limited explanatory research oriented upon developing an understanding of the processes and factors associated with corporate 'eco-change'. In recognition of this shortcoming in the literature, the present study utilised the case of the non-renewable resource extractive sector of Australia to examine corporate engagement with processes and practices for planetary sustainability. Specifically, it sought to construct and evidence an explanation of the external and internal factors that have promoted and/or retarded corporate engagement with planetary sustainability in the non-renewable resource extractive sector (NRRES) of Australia. Guided by grounded theory methodology, an instrumental case study of the NRRES in Australia was undertaken. The NRRES was chosen as this sector's profile, visibility and activities over the past twenty years have meant it has come under mounting pressure to incorporate the concept and principles of planetary sustainability into its ethos and operations. As such, the sector represents the opportunity to study this phenomenon within a dynamic context of sectoral and corporate responses to evolving societal expectations. The research was undertaken in three phases and the principal research method was in-depth key informant interviews with purposively sampled members of the sector's stakeholder groups. Each NRRES corporation is situated at the centre of a web of interconnected interests or 'stakes' necessitating efforts to balance the various stakeholder interests to maintain the institution's license-to-operate and secure a long-term existence. The thesis constructs an explanation of the societal drivers of NRRES corporate engagement with planetary sustainability, organised as the three categories of government, civil society and the corporate sector. These three groupings of stakeholders have been clustered into the broad category or theme of Activating Engagement, which recognises their collective role as the stimuli for NRRES corporation engagement in processes and practices for planetary sustainability. While the theme of Activating Engagement emphasises the importance and interrelatedness of the roles and actions within and between the three primary wheels of sustainability, of particular note is the evident rise of civil society as a more active societal stakeholder and more salient driver of corporate uptake of social and environmental issues. As the identified external drivers play a critical role in motivating NRRES corporation engagement, it is a corporation's particular characteristics that ultimately determine the extent and level of uptake of strategies to demonstrate corporate social responsibility. The thesis develops an explanation of the internal factors mediating NRRES corporate engagement comprising the factors of leadership, resources, structures, culture and understanding. These factors are conceptualised as the theme of Capacity for Engagement, which identifies their collective importance in a NRRES corporation's preparedness, impetus and capability relating to interest and participation in planetary sustainability. While all of the five factors are seen as essential to meaningful NRRES corporate engagement, the thesis identifies leadership as the most critical factor in Capacity for Engagement. Based on the findings of the research, several explanatory frameworks are developed. These frameworks aid in deepening our understanding of the NRRES corporate engagement process, in particular, the interconnections between the factors impeding and facilitating corporate interest and engagement with processes and practices for planetary sustainability. As such, these frameworks will make a substantial contribution to building our understanding of how the various factors and their components or 'pieces of the puzzle' interact and interrelate with each other to generate corporate engagement. The frameworks are the culmination of the research and, coupled with the more detailed explanations of their constituent factors, enhance our knowledge and understanding of the dynamics of NRRES corporation engagement with planetary sustainability. This enhanced understanding is significant and could be of considerable value in informing and targeting efforts to advance the depth and breadth of NRRES corporation engagement with processes and practices for planetary sustainability. To advance the standing of the study's findings, a series of case studies could be undertaken targeting the investigation of NRRES corporate engagement in other geographic locations and within different industry sectors.

Education for sustainability (EFS) is emerging as a key strategy for learning and action towards sustainability. Community-based environmental groups are potentially important providers of, and contexts for, educating adults for sustainability because they engage the community in activities such as public awareness raising, advocacy and lobbying, community education, and participatory learning (UNESCO, 2004, p. 25). These groups have been identified as key stakeholders of EFS in UNESCO's strategic plan for the United Nations Decade of Education for Sustainable Development, from 2005-2014 (UNESCO, 2004). Despite this recognition, there are few models or precedents to guide groups or programs in developing and implementing EFS in their strategies or activities. Additionally, education commonly associated with community-based environmental groups has been rather narrowly conceived as public awareness raising and individual behaviour change, and disconnected from advocacy (Clover, 2002a; Whelan, pending). This thesis addressed this gap in understanding by investigating the dimensions of education and learning in two community-based environmental groups in South-East QueensIand. The aim of this research was to develop a framework to explain and understand the role of education and learning within and by community-based environmental groups. The research inquiry was motivated by an interpretive interest in uncovering the educative dimensions arising from group members' engagement in the activities of community-based environmental groups. This aim was addressed through an investigation of: (1) the community education initiatives of community-based environmental groups; and (2) the learning that occurs within these groups through participation in social action, Two community-based environmental groups that participated in this study were Smogbusters, an environmental advocacy group, which focused on air quality and transport issues in Brisbane; and the Pumicestone Region Catchment Coordination Association, (PRCCA) a community-based natural resource management group. Information was gathered through participant observation, interviews with group members and project staff, and the collection of relevant documents from both groups. A conceptual framework based on five convergent themes in the contemporary EFS literature was used to interpret and analyse the activities of these groups, These are: (1) participation; (2) critical thinking; (3) local relevance; (4) holistic, interdisciplinary and systemic approaches; and (5) values-driven approaches. The analysis of both groups' community education initiatives revealed the use of approaches that extend beyond pubhc awareness, didactic, and information-based approaches to strategies that engaged the community more actively than was possible with conventional approaches. This reflects a more sophisticated and considered approach that connects education with advocacy as an integral part of groups' strategy and practice. The two case studies illustrate the use of participatory learning and action that incorporates adult learning approaches to enhance participation and learning. These findings contribute to knowledge that can help bridge the gap between education and advocacy in the activities of community-based environmental groups (Clover, 2002a; Whelan, 2005). The findings strongly suggest that the two groups engaged a form of education and action that approaches the potential of EFS as envisaged in policy documents and vision statements. The groups provided opportunities for action learning through advocacy and lobbying for policy change, and through a range of activities associated with addressing issues of natural resource management. In Smogbusters, participation in advocacy and education contributed to building the capacity of individuals to engage in social action for sustainable transport and air quality. In the PRCCA, group members' participation in natural resource management related activities developed their skills, knowledge and capacity to advocate for sustainable natural resource management practices. These findings confirm that local participation in environmental action and decision making builds on the individual and collective experiences of participants. Participation in action empowered and enabled group members to engage in action and change. In particular, participants developed a strong sense of their capacity to enact change, and to engage in social action. The findings of this research suggest that community-based environmental groups are important places for adults to gain a stronger sense of personal and collective agency towards sustainability. Further, participation in these groups is an important mechanism for environmental change to be brought about through collective action (Apel & Camozzi, 1996). The research findings confirm that adult and popular education pedagogies can optimise learning in community-based environmental groups (Foley, 1999; Clover & Hall, 2000; Clover; 2002a; Follen & HaIl, 1998; Newman, 1995a). The framework may be able to assist project coordinators in developing and implementing community education strategies into their programs. Finally, the findings have implications for policy and program development in the Decade of Education for Sustainable Development.

<p><strong><strong><strong><strong><strong><strong><strong><strong><strong>  </strong></strong></strong></strong></strong></strong></strong></strong></strong></p><p><strong>Datum:           </strong>2009-05-29</p><p><strong>Författare:     </strong>Sanne Jotorp, sjp07001@student.mdh.se</p><p>                        Linnéa Olsson, lon08004@student.mdh.se</p><p><strong>Handledare:   </strong>Ann-Sofi Paul</p><p><strong>Titel:               </strong>Ett företagsperspektiv på bestyrkt hållbarhetsredovisning - Vilka motiv kan finnas till ett bestyrkande</p><p><strong>Nivå:               </strong>Kandidatuppsats i ekonomistyrning</p><p><strong>Syfte:              </strong>Syftet med undersökningen är att utifrån ett företagsperspektiv beskriva vilka motiv som kan tänkas finnas till ett bestyrkande. Ambitionen är att försöka förstå vad ett bestyrkande kan innebära för företagets interna hållbarhetsarbete och för förhållandet till interna och externa intressenterna.</p><p><strong>Metod:</strong>            Undersökningen har formen av en förstudie och en kvalitativ undersökningsmetodik har tillämpats. Till grund för den teoretiska referensramen ligger en litteraturstudie. Empirin grundar sig på semistrukturerade intervjuer som har genomförts med ett urval av företag. I analysen fångas en helhetsbild av de samband och mönster som kan utläsas ur insamlade data.</p><p><strong>Slutsats:          </strong>De tendenser som kan skönjas i undersökningen visar att legitimitet för företagets handlingar kan stärkas i förhållande till både interna och externa intressenter. De motiv till ett bestyrkande som tydligast kan urskiljas är dels att hållbarhetsrapporteringen och det interna hållbarhetsarbetet kan säkerställas och effektiviseras. Dessutom kan de interna intressenternas förståelse för hållbarhetsfrågor öka och transparensen gentemot externa intressenter öka.</p><p><strong>Nyckelord:</strong>     Hållbarhet, hållbarhetsredovisning, bestyrkande, legitimitet, intressenter.</p> / <p> </p><p><strong>Date:               </strong>2009-05-29</p><p><strong>Authors:         </strong>Sanne Jotorp, sjp07001@student.mdh.se</p><p><strong>                        </strong>Linnéa Olsson, lon08004@student.mdh.se</p><p><strong>Tutor:             </strong>Ann-Sofi Paul<strong></strong></p><p><strong>Title:               </strong>A Corporate Perspective on Assurance of Sustainability Reporting - What kind of motives might there be for an assurance<strong></strong></p><p><strong>Level:             </strong>Bachelor Thesis in Management Accounting<strong></strong></p><p><strong>Purpose:         </strong>The purpose of the essay is to describe, from a corporate perspective, what kind of motives there might be for an assurance. The ambition is to try to understand what an assurance can mean for the internal corporate sustainability work and the corporate relationship to internal and external stakeholders.<strong></strong></p><p><strong>Method:         </strong>The essay has the form of a preliminary study and a qualitative study method has been used. A scholarly literature study forms the base of the theoretical reference frame. Semistructured interviews have been made with a sample of corporations to form the base of the empirical material. In the analysis the connections and the patterns that can be interpreted has been captured to give a general picture.<strong></strong></p><p><strong>Conclusion:    </strong>The tendencies that can be discerned shows that legitimacy for the actions of a corporation can be strengthened in the relationship to both internal and external stakeholders. The motives for an assurance that most clearly can be discerned are partly that the internal sustainability reporting and internal sustainability work can be ensured and made more effective.<strong> </strong>Furthermore the internal stakeholders understanding of sustainability questions can increase and the transparency towards external stakeholders can increase.</p><p><strong>Keywords:</strong>     Sustainability, sustainability reporting, assurance, legitimacy, stakeholders.</p>

Thesis (M. Environmental Management)--North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2009.

Datum:           2009-05-29 Författare:     Sanne Jotorp, sjp07001@student.mdh.se                         Linnéa Olsson, lon08004@student.mdh.se Handledare:   Ann-Sofi Paul Titel:               Ett företagsperspektiv på bestyrkt hållbarhetsredovisning - Vilka motiv kan finnas till ett bestyrkande Nivå:               Kandidatuppsats i ekonomistyrning Syfte:              Syftet med undersökningen är att utifrån ett företagsperspektiv beskriva vilka motiv som kan tänkas finnas till ett bestyrkande. Ambitionen är att försöka förstå vad ett bestyrkande kan innebära för företagets interna hållbarhetsarbete och för förhållandet till interna och externa intressenterna. Metod:            Undersökningen har formen av en förstudie och en kvalitativ undersökningsmetodik har tillämpats. Till grund för den teoretiska referensramen ligger en litteraturstudie. Empirin grundar sig på semistrukturerade intervjuer som har genomförts med ett urval av företag. I analysen fångas en helhetsbild av de samband och mönster som kan utläsas ur insamlade data. Slutsats:          De tendenser som kan skönjas i undersökningen visar att legitimitet för företagets handlingar kan stärkas i förhållande till både interna och externa intressenter. De motiv till ett bestyrkande som tydligast kan urskiljas är dels att hållbarhetsrapporteringen och det interna hållbarhetsarbetet kan säkerställas och effektiviseras. Dessutom kan de interna intressenternas förståelse för hållbarhetsfrågor öka och transparensen gentemot externa intressenter öka. Nyckelord:     Hållbarhet, hållbarhetsredovisning, bestyrkande, legitimitet, intressenter. / Date:               2009-05-29 Authors:         Sanne Jotorp, sjp07001@student.mdh.se                         Linnéa Olsson, lon08004@student.mdh.se Tutor:             Ann-Sofi Paul Title:               A Corporate Perspective on Assurance of Sustainability Reporting - What kind of motives might there be for an assurance Level:             Bachelor Thesis in Management Accounting Purpose:         The purpose of the essay is to describe, from a corporate perspective, what kind of motives there might be for an assurance. The ambition is to try to understand what an assurance can mean for the internal corporate sustainability work and the corporate relationship to internal and external stakeholders. Method:         The essay has the form of a preliminary study and a qualitative study method has been used. A scholarly literature study forms the base of the theoretical reference frame. Semistructured interviews have been made with a sample of corporations to form the base of the empirical material. In the analysis the connections and the patterns that can be interpreted has been captured to give a general picture. Conclusion:    The tendencies that can be discerned shows that legitimacy for the actions of a corporation can be strengthened in the relationship to both internal and external stakeholders. The motives for an assurance that most clearly can be discerned are partly that the internal sustainability reporting and internal sustainability work can be ensured and made more effective. Furthermore the internal stakeholders understanding of sustainability questions can increase and the transparency towards external stakeholders can increase. Keywords:     Sustainability, sustainability reporting, assurance, legitimacy, stakeholders.

This research project set out to develop and apply a framework for assessing how energy systems may be structured to help society progress towards sustainability. The general intent was to outline a way to decide upon the things that matter in order to make better decisions that will lead to positive near- and long-term outcomes. There are various ways of reaching the goal described above, and the path chosen in this dissertation centred on Gibson’s (2006) sustainability assessment framework, an approach to integrated sustainability-based decision-making. In order to contribute to extending and specifying Gibson’s approach to sustainability assessment for energy undertakings, this project developed a theoretical framework grounded in various forms of complexity and energy. The journey described in the dissertation begins with an exploration of the complexity of science, the subject of Chapter 2. We live in a world characterized by inherent uncertainty, multiple worldviews, conflicting values, power dynamics and a whole host of other challenges to science and decision-making. Many of the environmental and human challenges we currently face have arisen in part because we do not sufficiently respect the limits to knowledge and the personal biases we all bring to the table. Chapter 2 develops a framework for knowledge generation and decision-making situated within its social context, and operationalizes this framework through the process of criteria specification. Drawing from multiple sources of data – particularly documentary analysis, semi-structured interviews and observation – the criteria specification cycle provided the means of and determining and deciding upon the things that matter in a given case and context. The complexity of science is only half the story emerging from the complex systems literature. From a different perspective, it is evident that we live in a world of complex dynamics and interconnections, and it is important to ensure that whatever energy paths we set out on recognize these dynamics. Fortunately, there is a wide range of literature relating to the characteristics of complex systems in general, as well as their energy and material flows in societies. These literatures are explored in Chapter 3 to develop an understanding of and guidelines for managing complex systems to the extent possible and appropriate. Building on the theory developed in Chapters 2 and 3, the discussion in Chapter 4 began to develop an understanding of energy systems and energy decision-making and was structured around three general questions: (1) what is the energy problem? (2) what are the characteristics of an appropriate and constructive relationship with energy? and (3) how can the necessary and desired sociotechnical systems changes be achieved. These questions were largely addressed through an exploration of the soft energy path and transition management and led to two sets of guidelines designed to address energy systems structure and change. The theoretical framework developed over Chapters 2-4 was consolidated into a proposed set of sustainability criteria for energy undertakings. The sustainability criteria set represents the principal theoretical contribution of the dissertation to the academy and the broader assessment community, and outlines a suite of generally desirable system attributes and actions for achieving progress towards sustainability, as opposed to an acceptability threshold. The proposed sustainability criteria are primarily intended for application regarding energy undertakings at a wide variety of scales, but are much more broadly relevant. In a manner that is more iterative than can be described in this abstract, the sustainability assessment framework described in this dissertation was applied in, and enriched through, four distinct case studies that assessed (1) the 2006 Ontario Integrated Power Systems Plan proposed by the Ontario Power Authority. The Integrated Power Systems Plan was originally framed as a coal versus nuclear problem, as opposed to a critical appraisal of power systems planning; and in doing so it underplayed potential for conservation, demand management, increased renewable energy, and social change; (2) a small-scale biodiesel operation in Barbados. The plant owner collected used cooking oil from restaurants, roadside stands, and individual homes, and converted it into biodiesel using a first-generation processing technology known as transesterification. (3) a sugarcane-ethanol plant in the Tietê-Jacaré Watershed of São Paulo, Brazil. The sugarcane ethanol mill harvests approximately 21,000 hectares of sugarcane crops from seven municipalities and produces hydrated ethanol for domestic markets, and sugar for domestic and international markets; and (4) the agricultural and energy systems in Senegal. Senegal suffers from significant deforestation and soil fertility decline coupled with demographic change. The many interconnections between the energy and agricultural systems require an integrated assessment of both. Each individual case study stands alone in providing novel insights emerging from application of the framework in the particular case and context. At the more general level, five important insights emerged from the case studies, including: (1) the benefits of, and need for, maintaining a flexible unit of analysis so as to improve problem structuring; (2) the importance of grounding an assessment within its context; (3) the benefits of seeking integration and positive indirect effects; (4), the need to plan for and develop energy bridges towards feasible and desirable energy futures; and (5), the need for caution in the face of thresholds and uncertainty. The individual and general insights from the case studies were incorporated into the most recent version of the sustainability assessment framework described in this dissertation. The framework is suitable for application, with specification for particular case and context, to all types of energy systems at all scales.

This study has been carried out at Klättermusen, a Swedish company producing outdoor clothingand equipment with a focus on durability, safety, function and environment. The purpose of thethesis was to investigate if Klättermusen should use Cradle to Cradle (C2C) in their sustainabilitywork. This was reviewed by studying the working procedure, by making a case study, byinvestigating if there are alternative ways to practise C2C, by studying the weak points of theC2C-certification and by investigating the compatibility with other sustainability tools.The C2C vision is inspired by the ecosystems and is based on the three rules Waste equals food, Usecurrent solar income and Celebrate diversity. An important aspect of C2C is the focus on attaining apositive impact on humans and the environment instead of doing things less bad by minimizingemissions. To make it possible for companies to communicate their effort and progress to theircustomers and become more competitive a C2C certification has been elaborated. The core ofthe certification is an assessment of the materials included in the product to make sure they aresecure, healthy and recyclable. Other parts included in the certification are energy, water andsocial aspects.When studying the C2C certification three of Klättermusen’s products were used as references.To certify these products Klättermusen has to gather information from their suppliers and makestrategies regarding Materials, Material Reutilization, Energy, Water and Social Responsibility. Forexample all the substances that contained in the garment at a concentration of at least 0.01 %must be reported, which means that all suppliers must be requested to list their substances. Thecertification cost of a pair of pants investigated in this study was estimated to 54 500 €.An assessment was made to find alternative ways to practise C2C and identify weak points of theC2C certification. It is based on interviews held with Jenny Pfau working for EPEA and threepersons in contact with C2C in their work; Kjersti Kviseth, Magnus Hedenmark and RichardBlume. According to Jenny Pfau Klättermusen can practise C2C by making a screening, a detailedassessment or a workshop. Both Magnus Hedenmark and Richard Blume practise the frameworkof The Natural Step and think that the C2C certification should be used as a tool within theframework. Some weak points found by these persons in the certification are that it is timeconsuming,not transparent enough and lack of a systems perspective.The C2C certification was compared with bluesign, a sustainability standard for the textileindustry, and Eco Index, a sustainability tool made for the outdoor industry. The purpose was toinvestigate if the C2C certification is compatible with other tools and the compared aspects weremainly lifecycle stages, impact categories and level of detail, but also purpose, procedure,workload, required knowledge and experience, cost, credibility and transparency.Both strengths and weaknesses were found when studying the C2C certification. It has got apositive approach to sustainability and develops safe products from a chemical perspective buthas a lack of systems perspective, is costly and time-consuming. The compatibility of the toolswas discussed with the comparison as a basis. Eco Index is modular and could be adjusted tocomplement the C2C certification but both tools have a big workload. bluesign and the C2Ccertification include the same lifecycle stages but have different strengths, which could makethem complementing each but possibly contradictive.Klättermusen is recommended to make a sustainability vision of their future products and thenchoose which tools to use. Since Klättermusen is already a bluesign system partner it could be agood idea to complement bluesign with Eco Index and C2C, but this choice should depend onthe future vision.

The United States government has taken steps to assure underprivileged citizens housing in the form of public housing through the Department of Housing and Urban Development, as well as various humanitarian programs in the form of homeless shelters. Yet, all housing is not equal. Our freedom to choose where we live and what type of house we live in is one revered aspect of life as a United States citizen. We can express our individuality, creativity, and personality through the architectural style of our homes. In this sense it is hard to ask for equal housing. I am suggesting that equality comes from adequate access to social participation, social integration, and power, in other words social inclusion. (Room, 7) Investigating and correcting the causes of social exclusion in order to create social inclusion is necessary in order to ascertain equality of housing in America. Sir Winston Churchill once said, “We shape our buildings and afterward our buildings shape us.” (Gieryn, 35) But what happens when you do not have power over the shaping of your own building? Is your building still a reflection of yourself? And if we allow building to include the environment in which your home is located, what if previous use of the land left it degraded? Will the degradation shape you? My thesis considers the question: does the environmental quality and architectural style of public housing in the United States facilitate the social exclusion of these communities? If so, what best practices can we take away from models that have been successful at combatting social exclusion? By answering these questions I strive to develop a proposal to right this currently unjust situation.