This study examines Sustainable Community Development (SCD) in the context of the Baltic Sea Region. The research focuses on understanding a model for SCD piloted in Robertsfors, Sweden. The model is said to be transferable to any community around the world. This study seeks to understand the concepts and tools used in the Robertsfors Model. It also examines whether the model is strategic with regards to sustainability and whether it is successful in engaging the local community around these issues. Considerations for transferability are also addressed, focusing specifically on the Eastern Baltic Sea Region. Opportunities for improving the model are also studied. A combination of secondary research, in the form of literature review and primary research (structured interviews and questionnaires) was used to explore these questions. Propositions about SCD and questions for further research emerged from this study.

Magister Artium (Development Studies) - MA(DVS) / This exploratory study is based on the case of the Rusitu Valley, a low income rural community in Zimbabwe. Data was collected using largely qualitative methods and quantitative methods were used to obtain supportive descriptive statistics. Information elicited from focus group discussions conducted with members of the Rusitu Valley community as well as responses obtained from a brief structured questionnaire were used to abstract the Rusitu Valley as a complex adaptive system. Input from in-depth interviews with government representatives in energy policy, local government and non-governmental organisations as well as a review of secondary sources was used to support the analysis and confirm the contextual validity of the study. This study revealed that there is intimate connection between renewable energy technologies and sustainable community development. A key finding was that the contribution of renewable energy technologies in Rusitu Valley is mostly towards the economic dimensions of the community and is relatively limited with regard to social and environmental dimensions. Therefore, this study concluded that renewable energy technologies have not sufficiently contributed towards sustainable community development in the Rusitu Valley. This study also found that the contribution of renewable energy technologies is constrained not only by internal limitations but also external factors. A conclusion drawn from this study was that effective contribution of renewable energy technologies towards social, economic and environmental facets can be enhanced through mainstreaming of renewable energy in policy and planning, as well strengthening institutions and local capacity which would have the overall effect of sustainable community development in low income communities

The purpose of this dissertation research is to examine how local context in four natural resource dependent Appalachian settings shape the formal Basic Engagement Plan (BEP). In 2002, the federal Office of Surface Mining, Reclamation and Enforcement (OSMRE) formed a partnership with AmeriCorps VISTA and local environmental improvement organizations to restore Appalachian locales suffering from pre-regulatory environmental damage. To stimulate diverse local institutional engagement, the partnership developed the BEP. It is a formal process of institutional interaction to initiate working relationships where none exist between participating organizations and public administrators, legislators, and nonprofit organizations. To explore the research question, I use a multiple-case study design and comparative analysis. Because the partners work to restore local environments through sustainable community development, the research is grounded in sustainable community development literature. I continue the trend that juxtaposes its considerations of environmental protection, economic development, and social justice with the interactional perspective of community, a sociological model of community grounded in social interaction. Sustainable community development literature is dominated by an authoritative intervention paradigm. The juxtaposed model at the heart of this research does not deny the important contributions of authoritative intervention. Rather, it complements this conventional arrangement by discussing the important role of horizontal institutions in the process. Key findings show local contexts are multi-faceted and dynamic. In this regard, the variation in impact of local contexts on the formal BEP process shows that a one-size-fits-all approach is problematic for sustainable community development in natural resource dependent settings. The dissertation concludes with a set of comparative findings across the four cases and discussion of four important ways in which the research contributes to theory and practice. / PHD / This dissertation research provides a comparative case study of a hybrid, theory-based model of community development in rural settings. The model marries an interactive perspective of community and a type of community development that emphasizes sustainable practices. These practices seek to balance environmental protection, economic development, and social justice in the community development process. Its union is an excellent fit to organize the complexities of stakeholder relationships witnessed in selected natural resource dependent settings. In this regard, the research advances understanding of the model as a tool to organize multi-faceted working relationships. Secondly, the research advances the notion that inclusion of diverse stakeholders is important to restoring environmental damage and alleviating economic insecurities. It examines how diverse stakeholders break down communication barriers in natural resource dependent communities to find common goals to encourage sustained working relationships. The unpleasant implications of natural resource dependence create a setting where government is often the vital stakeholder to community development. In these settings, common goals and shared understanding of a public issue occur as government priorities allow. As priorities change so do the abilities of other key stakeholders to participate in the community development process. This research compliments understanding of the conventional government arrangement by highlighting the perspective of diverse stakeholders. Local practitioners can lessen the impact of changing government priorities by advancing their own organizational abilities to participate in community development. The dissertation concludes with a set of comparative findings across selected cases and discussion of important ways local practitioners can sustain the social change they seek to make in their communities.

This study examines Sustainable Community Development (SCD) in the context of the Baltic Sea Region. The research focuses on understanding a model for SCD piloted in Robertsfors, Sweden. The model is said to be transferable to any community around the world. This study seeks to understand the concepts and tools used in the Robertsfors Model. It also examines whether the model is strategic with regards to sustainability and whether it is successful in engaging the local community around these issues. Considerations for transferability are also addressed, focusing specifically on the Eastern Baltic Sea Region. Opportunities for improving the model are also studied. A combination of secondary research, in the form of literature review and primary research (structured interviews and questionnaires) was used to explore these questions. Propositions about SCD and questions for further research emerged from this study. / Den här magister uppsats berättar on hållbar kommunal utveckling i Blatik havet region. / Postal address: Götgatan 58 11826 Stockholm; mobil: 0734-434149, e-mail: koyurygen1@yahoo.com

The past two decades have witnessed significant growth in home-based work (HBW), particularly home-based business (HBB) activity and self-employment. These phenomena are attributed to factors such as flexible organization of production. While some empirical accounts on HBW and HBB activity in Canada do exist, they have mostly been conducted at the national or urban level rather than in rural areas. This thesis, therefore, places greater emphasis on rural HBBs in Saskatchewan where out-migration of people is threatening the viability and sustainability of rural and small communities. It is argued that rural sustainability largely depends on economic viability. The study area for the research includes the City of Saskatoon and the countryside surrounding this city. <p>The overall goal of this research is to contribute to the discussion of rural sustainability by considering HBBs as a potential strategy to achieve sustainability in rural areas and small communities. Therefore, the primary objectives of the dissertation are to examine the nature and degree of relationships of home business activity between rural, rural-urban fringe and urban areas, and the implications on links for sustainability of rural households and communities; to examine the relationship of HBB activity to the concept of rural entrepreneurship and business development; and to assess the contributions of rural and small town HBBs to the sustainability of households and communities in Saskatchewan. <p>A combination of the concept of sustainable community development, the von Thunen model and the competitive strategy model (i.e., cost-leadership, differentiation, focus) provide the theoretical framework of the thesis. Through snowball sampling and mail questionnaire surveys, primary data on HBBs were obtained from Saskatoon and its surrounding regions in Saskatchewan for micro-level analysis. Both qualitative and quantitative techniques were employed to analyze the data. <p>Major findings of the thesis include the linkages that HBBs create among places and the impact of links on community sustainability; and the apparent spatial variations in HBBs, motivations, competitive strategies, and benefits of home businesses from the urban core to the limits of the rural hinterland. It was also found that home businesses contribute positively to the sustainability of households and communities in rural Saskatchewan. Specifically, they generate significant revenue and employment opportunities for people, while supporting local economies through their networks, purchasing and selling of goods and services locally as well as keeping managers and members of their households in rural areas and small communities for considerable number of years. Indeed home-based occupation is a vital component of the mechanisms for rural sustainability. Also, this thesis proposed a rural-urban HBB model for future social science research. <p>Major conceptual underpinnings of the research include rural-urban relations; regional and community economic development, sustainable community development; rural entrepreneurship, home-based work, home business, self-employment, competitive strategy, and the von Thunen Isolated State model.

The past two decades have witnessed significant growth in home-based work (HBW), particularly home-based business (HBB) activity and self-employment. These phenomena are attributed to factors such as flexible organization of production. While some empirical accounts on HBW and HBB activity in Canada do exist, they have mostly been conducted at the national or urban level rather than in rural areas. This thesis, therefore, places greater emphasis on rural HBBs in Saskatchewan where out-migration of people is threatening the viability and sustainability of rural and small communities. It is argued that rural sustainability largely depends on economic viability. The study area for the research includes the City of Saskatoon and the countryside surrounding this city. <p>The overall goal of this research is to contribute to the discussion of rural sustainability by considering HBBs as a potential strategy to achieve sustainability in rural areas and small communities. Therefore, the primary objectives of the dissertation are to examine the nature and degree of relationships of home business activity between rural, rural-urban fringe and urban areas, and the implications on links for sustainability of rural households and communities; to examine the relationship of HBB activity to the concept of rural entrepreneurship and business development; and to assess the contributions of rural and small town HBBs to the sustainability of households and communities in Saskatchewan. <p>A combination of the concept of sustainable community development, the von Thunen model and the competitive strategy model (i.e., cost-leadership, differentiation, focus) provide the theoretical framework of the thesis. Through snowball sampling and mail questionnaire surveys, primary data on HBBs were obtained from Saskatoon and its surrounding regions in Saskatchewan for micro-level analysis. Both qualitative and quantitative techniques were employed to analyze the data. <p>Major findings of the thesis include the linkages that HBBs create among places and the impact of links on community sustainability; and the apparent spatial variations in HBBs, motivations, competitive strategies, and benefits of home businesses from the urban core to the limits of the rural hinterland. It was also found that home businesses contribute positively to the sustainability of households and communities in rural Saskatchewan. Specifically, they generate significant revenue and employment opportunities for people, while supporting local economies through their networks, purchasing and selling of goods and services locally as well as keeping managers and members of their households in rural areas and small communities for considerable number of years. Indeed home-based occupation is a vital component of the mechanisms for rural sustainability. Also, this thesis proposed a rural-urban HBB model for future social science research. <p>Major conceptual underpinnings of the research include rural-urban relations; regional and community economic development, sustainable community development; rural entrepreneurship, home-based work, home business, self-employment, competitive strategy, and the von Thunen Isolated State model.

The need for constructive and effective sustainable community development in South Africa is recognised as a cornerstone for national development. Having a clear understanding of sustainable development and sustainable community development is a prerequisite in developing sustainable communities. A current rate of unemployment and low skills level pose a threat to sustainable development within the communities. There is growing interest within businesses and organisations to contribute towards corporate social responsibility (CSR) programmes and initiatives. However, this is an enormous task to address socioeconomic challenges in South Africa due to limited resources and high expectations. The businesses should implement well-structured plans for corporate social responsibility. Furthermore, planned initiatives generally tend to appropriately promote social harmony within targeted community. Skeptics of CSR often claim that business should focus on profits and let the government or non-profit organisations deal with social and environmental issues. The Eskom’ power stations under this study do make some contribution to social and economic development in South Africa, which is realised through corporate social responsibility (CSR) policy within the areas of Ermelo and Balfour. Most people in these communities feel they have been neglected for a long time as their social concerns have not been resolved. The community have recently pressurised these power stations to become corporate citizens; to take on CSR and work towards sustainable community development in their areas. There is a perception within the community that the management of Camden and Grootvlei power stations is not actively involved in executing CSR programmes; hence the intention of the study is to present an interesting analysis of these perceptions by exploring the experienced outcome of CSR initiatives around Ermelo and Balfour in improving the livelihood of the people, inter alia: unemployment and education. The case study research design was adopted for this research and employed a qualitative approach to understand the individual perceptions about the phenomenon under study. The data were collected by means of semi-structured interviews and electronic email. The responses from the participants were analysed using ATLAS.ti software to identify codes and patterns in primary data. The total selected sampling was 25, but those who participated were only 17. From the key findings, it was evident that these power stations do make some contributions towards CSR within their community. However, this study revealed a gap in the way CSR is practiced and implemented: social responsibility and real sustainable development do not reach the community. The findings also brought to light vast differences in the perceptions of various stakeholders regarding available programmes that support sustainable development within the community. These vast differences could mean that this study represents the start of a long-term process. Moreover, the study suggests some critical underlying factors that should be dealt with to close this gap: communication, awareness of available programmes, budget challenges and commitment, and identifying who should take responsibility for various aspects of development. The outcomes of this study are based on how stakeholders view community development needs and challenges by means of three cases that emerged during data analysis: case 1) community; 2). CSR project manager; 3) Top Management. Overall, this study contributes to the applied research area of; proper community engagement programmes, management engagement, employment, training and development, and education. / Business Management / M. Tech. (Business Administration)