This paper aims to examine the prospects for success for sustainable economic development planning on the local level. The first section provides background on this question, examines how best to define the Green Economy, and discusses the four most important factors influencing its future growth. This includes the current economic landscape and the hopes that have been pinned on sustainable development. The paper then examines the classification issues that have helped shape the nature of the discussion of this subject, and explores the most prominent methods and partnerships currently being designed and utilized in an attempt to stimulate local sustainable development and job growth. Also discussed is the effect that the current political climate is having on government investment in renewable energy and conservation at the federal and state level. The paper then designates the cities of Oakland, Toledo, and Austin as case studies as a way to illustrate how these efforts are playing out in the current landscape. Each city has been chosen because it is a leader in an influential sustainable economic development strategy that is being pursued by other cities around the country. Given the four factors influencing growth in the Green Economy, the paper evaluates the strengths and weaknesses demonstrated by each approach. Finally, the paper identifies the most important lessons that can be applied to the biggest challenges of local sustainable economic development strategies. / text

The assumption that the colours of the green poison frog, Dendrobates auratus, serve as a warning of unpalatability is not supported because the requirements of the theory of aposematism are not met. The theory predicts that the aposematic coloration be conspicuous to potential predators, yet this cannot be demonstrated. The only predator found for D. auratus was the theraphosid spider, Sericopelma rubronitens, which hunts using vibrational cues. Only after sampling all frogs offered did spiders reject the toxic D. auratus over nontoxic Physalaemus pustulosus. The spider's decision to reject D. auratus as prey was made without visual input, and therefore the colours and toxicity of the frogs are decoupled with respect to this predator. Discovering that the crab Armases angustum is a predator of D. auratus tadpoles suggests that D. auratus is most vulnerable to predation during the nontoxic tadpole stage. Indirect methods of estimating predation were unsuccessful. The use of plasticine model frogs to estimate avian predation yielded no useful information and although traumatic injury is usually attributed to attempted predation, this is not true for tropical anurans. The levels of traumatic injury for D. auratus and a cryptic nontoxic frog Physalaemus pustulosus were similar when the life span of the frogs was taken into account. The traumatic injuries in these frogs are a function of interactions with small invertebrates that are neither predator nor prey. The theory of aposematism also predicts that there should be low pattern variation within an aposematic species so that a single search image can be formed and avoided. The patterns of D. auratus are individually distinct and there is significant interpopulational variation in appearance due to differences in colour, pattern and animal size. Selection for conspicuous visual intraspecific communication may have resulted in these differences in appearance. Mitochondrial 16S rRNA and cytochrome b sequence data ind

Research on organizational commitment in work settings is unclear about its generalization to broader environments; sense of place is typically measured to capture belonging and identification in communities. Whether the constructs of organizational commitment and sense of place are perceived distinctly by neighbourhood residents was investigated. Based on associations between natural design content and prosocial outcomes, it was hypothesized that individuals living in neighbourhoods with numerous green attributes would experience more organizational commitment to their community, as well as a stronger sense of place. Although participants did not perceive organizational commitment and sense of place distinctly, organizational commitment significantly correlated with the number of green features in a neighbourhood. However, sense of place and the degree of greenness in a neighbourhood were not related. This may be because these two constructs are closely related but not identical. Findings highlight the value of studying organizational commitment and sense of place when addressing neighbourhood research. / Graduate

Green infrastructure has numerous beneficial ecosystem services which can make a city more sustainable and resilient to the climate change. There are also various of cultural benefits of green areas for the inhabitants of a city, such as the opportunity for recreation. This study has examined which methods and strategies are being used by key people who work with green structure in Örnsköldsvik municipality. Interviews have been made with one local politician, whom is a chairperson for a planning committee, and four civil servants. As well as to scrutinize which prospects and restraints the above-mentioned consider with a reinforcement of the green structure and how an enhanced green structure may improve the social sustainability. Focus is on the city core of Örnsköldsvik. The result was that the primarily used strategies are the green plan, an addition to the comprehensive plan and the detailed development plan process. The prospects of strengthening the green structure are a new more thorough green plan, implementing a cooperation forum between those who possess knowledge about green issues and foremost involve and raise the matter of green structure early in the planning process. The identified restraints are that there is a lack of knowledge and competence regarding green structure and there is an exploitation pressure on these sites in the city. The green areas in Örnsköldsvik have an immense effect on social sustainability and are of great importance for the mobility in time and space for individuals especially children, the elderly and those with a lower socio-economic status.

Thesis (Ph.D.) - James Cook University, 2006. / Typescript (photocopy) Bibliography: p. 111-126.

Thesis (M.S.)--University of Texas at El Paso, 2009. / Title from title screen. Vita. CD-ROM. Includes bibliographical references. Also available online.

Thesis (M.S.)--University of Wisconsin--Madison, 1981. / Typescript. eContent provider-neutral record in process. Description based on print version record. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 387-418).

Thesis (M.S.)--University of North Carolina Wilmington, 2009. / Title from PDF title page (January 12, 2010) Includes bibliographical references (p. 64-69)

Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of California, San Diego, 1997. / Vita. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 631-642).

Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of London, 1983. / Includes bibliographical references (p. [375]-400) and index.