The purpose of this study is to improve understanding of how (a) principles of sustainable development (SD) have been implemented in an ecovillage setting, as well as (b) to analyze internal and external challenges faced by the ecovillagers in their pursuit of sustainable living. The specific research objectives of this study are these: i) examine the sustainable practices of an ecovillage according to Agenda 21 principles; ii) document key and unique elements of the ecovillage approach to SD; iii) identify challenges faced by O.U.R. Ecovillage residents in SD practices implementation and recognise opportunities to improve the implementation of SD principles in the ecovillage. To meet these objectives the study was carried out in one of the most developed ecovillages in Canada - O.U.R. ecovillage, located in the Cowichan Valley region, British Columbia. Multiple research methods that were used included: interviews, focus group, participant observation, research photography and document analysis. Research findings revealed numerous innovative sustainable practices implemented in the ecovillage. Discussed areas include shelter provision, governance, construction practices, environmental infrastructure, human resource development, planning in disaster prone areas, land-use management as well as energy and transportation systems. Many processes initiated by the ecovillage are only in the experimental stage and require improvement. However, O.U.R. Ecovillage is an important educational center for sustainability due not only to specific practices but also its holistic approach to SD that balances the needs of individuals, community, and the environment. The research also presents various internal and external challenges that obstruct SD of the community. Main difficulties faced by the community throughout its development are related first to strong individualistic cultural values dominant in western society that contradict many sustainable practices applied in the ecovillage. A second obstacle to SD in the community is posed by the inflexibility of regulatory authorities that greatly complicates implementation of innovative holistic practices. Lessons learned from O.U.R. Ecovillage might assist other groups in Canada and abroad to proceed with local initiatives towards sustainability.

The key stakeholders to the Tsilitwa Project in Mhlontlo Local Municipality have a consistent understanding of what a sustainable community is and their understanding is generally consistent with the widely used and acceptable definition of sustainable community, except that the stakeholders to this project do not seem to attach any value to ecological integrity. They all believe that central to the development of a sustainable community is an active participation of the community itself in determining their destiny. However, there seems to be a disagreement on whether the project was implemented in accordance with their understanding, with others blaming the implementing agent on one side and others believing that the original budget was not sufficient on the other. Even though some stakeholders are optimistic about the sustainability of the project, they all seem to agree that for the project to be revived and become a sustainable initiative some funding from either government or other partners is necessary. The participation and/or involvement of other partners such as other government departments, development finance institutions, etc is also seen as one thing that would boost the project further. The current state of the project and the associated facilities is not a good sight and there is clear evidence of deterioration of the cooperative, guesthouse and other facilities. The provision of water has been a challenge to the whole community due to non-payment of an electricity bill for the water supply facility, and this has led to ESKOM cutting the power supply. / Dissertation (MA)--University of Pretoria, 2013. / Geography, Geoinformatics and Meteorology / Unrestricted

By examining the interconnected relationship between humanity and the environment we live in, this thesis aims to bring new sustainable design approaches to a toxic industrial area known as the Burloak Employment Lands in Oakville, Ontario. At the heart of this vast site, a new train station is proposed as a catalyst for enriching and nourishing the local community’s correlation to its immediately adjacent natural life. Additionally, the design of this station is embedded within an urban planning proposal that aims to lift the overall quality of life in the community by restoring ecological health to these wounded lands.

By examining the interconnected relationship between humanity and the environment we live in, this thesis aims to bring new sustainable design approaches to a toxic industrial area known as the Burloak Employment Lands in Oakville, Ontario. At the heart of this vast site, a new train station is proposed as a catalyst for enriching and nourishing the local community’s correlation to its immediately adjacent natural life. Additionally, the design of this station is embedded within an urban planning proposal that aims to lift the overall quality of life in the community by restoring ecological health to these wounded lands.

This study seeks to uncover the opportunities and challenges in building the foundations for sustainable community development at the local level, by enhancing the capacity of a community organisation. Challenging the traditional needs-based focus of community development, the research builds from the work of Kretzmann and McKnight by applying an asset-based approach to both community development and capacity building of community organisations. This study thus shifts the focus of community development away from its traditional application on

During the last decades, sustainable development has generated a growing attention in the world.Eco-city projects, as a step towards practical application of sustainable development theories, havesprung up in various defined spaces. Besides the technical achievements in environmentalsustainability, it is also necessary to develop social sustainability in human habitats. The initialmotivation of this study was to present Augustenborg as an example for other projects to borrowexperience. Based on the PEBOSCA framework, the theoretical system of sense of community,and the interdisciplinary theories of sustainable community development, the study assessed anexisting sustainable community - Augustenborg considering the sense of community by utilizingliterature review and field study. Furthermore, residents’ needs and participation management, twotopics were discussed in an interdisciplinary way to help to optimize sustainable process incommunities.

Planners and designers of sustainable communities claim they design them according to sustainability principles, but residents must also embrace those principles in their private lives in order to reduce the community's ecological footprint. One such sustainable community is the "UniverCity" on Burnaby Mountain next to the Simon Fraser University. This research investigated the influence of the residents' individual behaviour on the total ecological footprint of this sustainable community and how planners can influence their residents' behaviour. Using the UniverCity as a case study, this research demonstrates that not all sustainable community planners attempt to influence the residents' behaviour to be more sustainable and that the planners do not always measure the ecological footprint of a community. The study recommends that community planners should attempt to measure this or similar indicators and use direct and indirect influencing methods to build an active and engaged community and foster sustainable behaviour.

Greater public participation has been recognized in the socio-political sphere as a growing imperative and a recent phenomenon is a shift in governance towards the "politics of inclusion" at the local and in some cases, the provincial level. Democracy is fundamental to sustainable development because when people participate in the decisions that affect their lives, they are more committed to their implementation. Once community buy-in is garnered, people are empowered to engage in organized action and advocate for the causes they stand for which can affect the necessary changes in moving towards a sustainable community. Our Street London is a grassroots collective that supports alternatives to mainstream modalities of transportation such as biking, walking, and public transportation, as well sustainable urban form. My objective is to understand the richness and detail of the social constructions of the actors in the lived environment. My research explores successful community engagement strategies and how the knowledge generated through the inquiry process can benefit Our Street London members to mobilize group capacity, hence affecting the future directions of the group. My main method of data collection consisted of semi-structured, open-ended interviews with experts on community engagement. Participants consisted of academics, long-time practitioners, and employees of small to medium-sized sustainability/environmental and social justice organizations. This research does have an action-oriented intent to work with Our Street London beyond the scope of this project in translating recommendations into action.

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The purpose of this study is to develop a sustainable community in a village called Sahmuratli inYozgat, Turkey based on the remarkable case of a Swedish eco-village called Hagaby. TheKerkenes Eco-Center in Sahmuratli village provides the essential baseline for the village toconvert it into a sustainable community in terms of social and economic dimensions ofsustainability. Survey and interview methods were used to collect information about the Eco-Center. The overall outcome of the study is that the the Kerkenes Eco-Center can become asignificant initiative to promote sustainable community development in terms of promotingeconomic welfare and increasing social relationships among the village community throughvarious practices influenced by Hagaby in Uppsala, Sweden.