This study uses Processwork as a lens to evaluate the facilitation of social change and related design projects at all levels of scale. Social change processes are deconstructed and explored in terms of awareness of signals, roles, dimensions of rank and power, belief systems, and phenomenological experience within the analytical structure of deep democracy and eldership. Data is collected for the case studies from workshops, interviews with practitioners and participants, relevant texts and field experiences. The Bolivian case studies involved 24 rural indigenous farmers (men of varying ages) and 16 women (aged 16 - 54), all from situations of extreme urban poverty and shows the application of Processwork in empowering participants to facilitate social change. The Zaragoza case study was a part-time multi-module two-year course involving 38 male and female lawyers. They gained the confidence to design, and in some cases implement, a parallel mediation training, based on a whole systems design. The Thai case study consisted of 3 week-long workshops with Buddhist monks and nuns, university professors, community leader, consultants and trainers. The results suggest the emphasis on eldership, group process structure, rank, power, and double signals was extremely useful, even for those already experienced in awareness-based practices. The Ecovillage case study focuses on one female facilitator working in an extremely diverse cultural setting and demonstrates the importance of working with inner diversity and the value of both inner and outer awareness Processwork exercises. In choosing this broad spectrum of applications, the similarities and differences of Processwork in diverse cultural and social contexts is illustrated. The case studies and my experience suggest that Processwork can contribute to a shift in perspective required to build a more sustainable civilization with its capacity to broaden perspective and increase awareness at the worldview level. Processwork facilitates a process of meta-design, that encourages participants to see the larger, complex context of their projects as well as the details and momentary interactions and can be very helpful to all those working with complex systems, including facilitators and designers.

abstract: This study argues for Indigenous-led community development as a salient field of study whereby both theory and practice would be held to the goals of decolonizing entrenched systems that suppress indigeneity, as well as embodying processes to rediscover, regain, and reimage aspects integral to Indigenous well-being and sustainability. Building on fieldwork with Cherokee youth in Stilwell, OK using community mapping and photovoice methods, it is argued that holistic and culturally relevant frameworks that fully situate such salient factors are needed when examining topics related to sustainability, well-being, and resurgence in Native American communities. Utilizing youth narratives, the study proposes a starting point for a Cherokee-led community development framework. / Dissertation/Thesis / Project Booklet / Doctoral Dissertation Community Resources and Development 2016

In 2015, the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development was adopted by state nations across the globe to eradicate poverty in all its forms, combat inequality, preserve the planet, create sustainable economic growth and foster social inclusion (United Nations, 2015:5). Social work is committed to contributing to sustainable development through the Global Agenda for Social Work and Social Development (2012). When social workers promote sustainable development, both social and environmental justice are equally important and also interrelated. The goal of the study was to explore and describe the role of social workers in promoting environmental justice to achieve sustainable communities from Non-governmental organisations’ perspective in Tshwane. The researcher used the qualitative research approach. The study was both explorative and descriptive. The study used an instrumental case study design and the type of research was both basic and applied. The research sample of 10 social workers from the Tshwane area was purposively selected, and data were collected by means of semi-structured interviews. The findings derived from the study showed that social workers in practice are aware of the interrelatedness between communities and the physical environment, but that the environment is not always consciously integrated in their interventions. Furthermore, social workers can identify the need for green social work. However, although they are unsure of how to practise green social work, some social workers are already promoting sustainability in their communities, albeit without always realising their involvement with environmental justice. The study concluded that there is a growing awareness amongst social workers of the interrelatedness between social justice and environmental justice and that, in promoting social justice, they should incorporate environmental justice. Furthermore, traditional social work roles could be employed to promote environmental justice and sustainable communities by adopting green social work as theoretical framework (Dominelli, 2012). The study recommends a raised awareness of green social work amongst social workers, interventions with a view to do community-building and present training opportunities for social workers to equip them with the skills to practice green social work through focused interventions. Further research on social work practice is required to shift existing social work practice to integrated social, economic and environmental development that promote sustainable communities. / Dissertation (MSW)--University of Pretoria, 2019. / Social Work and Criminology / MSW / Unrestricted

Ecovillages acting as experimental community models have the potential to help move society towards sustainability by developing alternative solutions for sustainable living. Their contribution is through the power of example, demonstrating successful alternative systems that can be replicated at higher scales through the broader community. However, ecovillages often struggle with long-term planning and lack a systematic approach to integrating structure, processes and actions into strategic planning. Research was conducted to examine how ecovillages could be supported in this deficiency to make them more successful as models of sustainability. An initial document review of tools and concepts currently used in the ecovillage movement uncovered a recently developed concept called the Wheel of Sustainability (WoS). The Framework for Strategic Sustainable Development (FSSD) was applied to analyse this concept and to inform the development of a new prototype tool. The research was conducted in collaboration with experts in the ecovillage field and FSSD practitioners, through interviews and a final validation survey. The result of the research led to the co-creation of an enhanced communication and strategic planning tool, the Direction Indicator for Sustainable Communities (DISC), intended for use by ecovillage communities. Further research is recommended to field-test and further refine this tool.

Concerns about anthropogenic climate change, fossil fuel depletion, energy security, and damage to our ecosystems are acting as a catalyst for action in many sectors of industry and society. One key sector which has been identified as crucial for addressing these issues is the building sector. Therefore, in the UK context, with the aim of reducing carbon dioxide emissions, the requirements for new homes in terms of their energy efficiency are becoming ever more stringent, leading to the introduction of the zero carbon homes standard from 2016. Alongside this, broader priorities for sustainable development have been established in the UK, with a focus on the creation of sustainable communities. These are communities which support the diverse needs of residents and provide a good quality of life whilst protecting the natural environment. The literature suggests that the volume housebuilding sector is failing to meet housing demand in terms of either quantity or quality. Furthermore, it is apparent that the sector is failing to respond to voluntary stimuli for the delivery of zero carbon homes. Thus, it is with an overall aim of supporting the delivery of zero carbon homes and sustainable communities that this thesis has been undertaken. The UK Government suggested in 2011 that self-build homes, in which the occupant is involved in either building or commissioning the home, are more likely to be affordable, energy efficient and innovative than open market housing. Self-build housing accounts for only around 10% of new homes built in the UK, and group self-build is a small proportion of this. The UK Government has an aspiration to double the size of the self-build sector, with an expansion in the group self-build sector, over the decade to 2021. Literature on the self-build sector is limited, and that on the group self-build sector even more so. Indeed, gaps in knowledge in terms of the motivations for and benefits of group self-build exist. There are also gaps in knowledge in terms of the barriers to group self-building and ways in which the expansion of the sector could be best supported. Furthermore, existing literature on drivers for and barriers to zero carbon homebuilding is limited and fails to gather opinions from the broad range of professionals involved in the delivery of new homes. With the aim of addressing these gaps in knowledge, three complementary studies were conducted with an element of focus on the region of Cornwall, in South West England. With the aim of exploring opinions of professionals involved in the delivery of new homes regarding zero carbon homebuilding, a series of 34 semi-structured interviews was undertaken within the first study (Perceptions of zero carbon homebuilding). The second study was undertaken with the aim of investigating professional and expert opinions on the suitability of group self-build as a development model for zero carbon homes and sustainable communities (Self-build perceptions). This investigation employed the Policy Delphi method, an iterative, non-contact group research process in which data was gathered from participants through three rounds of online questionnaire surveys. This second study was formed of two concurrent studies; one employed a panel of national participants within England, the other a panel of regional participants within South West England. The third and final study aimed to explore the experience-based opinions of group self-builders through a series of 11 in-depth interviews (Group self-build reflections). The three studies are presented independently. However, each subsequent study is built upon the knowledge gained in the previous study. Within the final chapter of the thesis, the results are brought together and triangulated through a consideration of how the findings coalesce to cast light on the three central concepts of zero carbon homes, sustainable communities, and group self-build housing. The findings from this research identify and elucidate a number of themes of drivers for and barriers to zero carbon homebuilding. Themes of drivers include: legislative, economic, social responsibility, individual, and industry. Themes of barriers include: economic, skills and knowledge, industry, legislative, and cultural. Multiple potential support mechanisms for the delivery of zero carbon homes were also identified. The findings highlight the need for a cultural shift in the housebuilding industry, reducing the over-reliance on volume housebuilders. A broad range of benefits and motivations for group self-building have been identified and explored. However, whilst a strong appetite for environmentally sustainable development amongst group self-builders is established, this research casts some doubt on the central assertion that group self-build homes will be more energy efficient than speculatively built homes. Differences between the individual and group self-build sector were exposed both in terms of the motivations and the barriers faced. This thesis demonstrates how the benefits of group self-build housing serve to help create sustainable communities, and how they also serve to address some of the barriers to zero carbon homebuilding. The findings of this research demonstrate that group self-build housing offers a significant number of potential benefits towards the delivery of zero carbon homes and the creation of sustainable communities.

The work towards global sustainable development is growing increasingly complex. Cities and the local urban scale have been acknowledged as important arenas towards sustainability; as they are actors contributing to high climate impacts and contain nebulous circumstances surrounding social orders due to rapid urbanisation. In response to the elaborate difficulties of achieving urban sustainability, Marc Wolfram (2016) conceptualised a framework for urban transformative capacity aimed at analysing and creating capacity for development. By applying relational ontology to a case study of Vallastaden, a newly built neighbourhood in Linköping Sweden this thesis has deepened the understanding of transformative capacity on a local scale. This was accomplished by scrutinising the planning and built environment of Vallastaden in the case study by applying semi-structured interviews, qualitative content analysis and a survey as data collecting methodologies.  The findings of the case study show that Vallastaden has been planned with care by focusing on the human scale and putting emphasis on building meaningful places and aiming to create social sustainability through many shared premises in the neighbourhood. The following six out of ten components of the framework for urban transformative capacity were made visible in the empirical data; (1) transformative leadership, (2) inclusive and multi-form governance, (3) empowered communities of practice, (4) system awareness and memory, (5) reflexivity and social learning and (6) urban sustainability foresight. Furthermore, the most prominent findings display the relations between the agency component (1-3), that the project of Vallastaden contributes to capacity development through social learning and a heterogeneous interdependence of relations between the shared premises and residents.

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Over the last decade, Ubiquitous Real-time Passenger Information (URTPI) has become popular among public transport passengers. The effectiveness of URTPI and hence the value of the investments into the necessary systems can be increased with a clear understanding of how URTPI influences passenger behaviour. However, such an understanding is still limited and fragmented. In particular, very little is known about the impact of URTPI on route choice. This study fills this gap evaluating the impact of URTPI on bus passengers' route choice. A revealed preference survey methodology was adopted for data collection and two questionnaire surveys targeting bus users were carried out. Categorical Regression and discrete choice models, such as Binary Logit Model and Multinomial Logit Model, have been applied to analyse the survey data. The study reveals that trip length, passenger age and profession are the main factors influencing the use of URTPI.Having access toURTPI, the frequency of its use is strongly influenced by the attributes of information and social norms. Bus arrival time and bus stop location are the two most important contents of information. Changing time ofdeparture from the start and the boarding time are the two most popular actions taken by bus passengers after consulting URTPI. Passengers' decisions are influenced by information on bus arrival time, bus route, and walking distance. As a result of the impact of URTPI on passengers' choices, the demand distribution for bus runs could potentially be changed by 33% and for bus lines by 22%. The overall network demand distribution could be affected in 42% of cases as a result of consulting URTPI.This study implicates that while investing in tailoring the sources of URTPI, passengers' preferred attributes and contents of information should be considered. Transport planners and operators should take the potential impact of URTPI into account to make better predictions of the PT demand distribution.

We all want to live in a healthy community. Each of us has his or her own image of what such a community should look like. That image is shaped, in part, by our reaction to the communities in which we now live or used to live. However we often take for granted the elements of communities that enable and sometimes disable many of us to remain active in a community for a lifetime. For older residents, a lifelong community would include elements that help them to maintain independence and quality of life. The physical characteristics of a community often play a major role in facilitating our personal independence. In order to combat the growing challenges and health concerns facing the American lifestyle this research proposes a set of design guidelines that promote sustainable lifelong communities that are universally designed for people of all ages and levels of physical ability. The purpose of developing a set of universal design guidelines for lifelong communities is to alleviate many of the physical barriers and challenges that prevent some Americans from active involvement in the community. The methods employed to develop these guidelines were based on literature review and analysis. This research was incorporated into a new body of practical standards that was tested against a real life community in Decatur, Georgia. These standards were edited and revised to appropriately accommodate the necessary adaptations that were discovered during the evaluation phase. The resultant guidelines are presented with the intention of becoming a usable guide for planning agencies such as the Atlanta Regional Commission and other local and national community design facilitators.

O crescimento populacional aliado à migração tem aumentado a pressão sobre o uso do solo urbano perpetuando sucessivos problemas de assentamentos informais e saneamento ambiental nos grandes centros. Esta situação se agrava ainda mais em épocas de chuvas intensas devido à ocorrência de enchentes. Este projeto faz parte de um conjunto de ações integradas de cidadania e inclusão social na região hidrográfica da baixada de Jacarepaguá, especificamente envolvendo a Comunidade da Vila Cascatinha, em Vargem Grande, a fim de gerar subsídios para políticas públicas em áreas de assentamentos informais, integrado ao projeto HIDROCIDADES (CNPq/CTHIDRO/CTAGRO), que visa a conservação da água em meios urbanos e periurbanos associado à cidadania, inclusão social e melhoria da qualidade de vida nas grandes cidades. Este projeto utilizou uma tecnologia adaptada dos telhados verdes para edificação popular (telhado de fibrocimento), com o objetivo de verificar aspectos construtivos, possíveis espécies com potencial de geração de renda, custos, efeitos no retardo do escoamento superficial das águas pluviais e outros benefícios associados a questões climáticas locais e de conforto do ambiente interno. Os resultados gerados demonstraram, entre outros, o estabelecimento de metodologia para implantação dos telhados verdes em habitações populares, o valor dos custos e resultados preliminares de espécies com potencial para geração de renda. Ainda, a implantação dos telhados verdes demonstrou ser promissora no controle do escoamento superficial, na aplicação do sistema de irrigação. Na simulação das chuvas, observou-se uma retenção de até 56% do volume precipitado. Observou-se o retardo da ocorrência do pico de até 8 minutos no telhado vegetado em relação ao telhado testemunho (convencional telhas fibrocimento). Foi observada a eficiência tanto no comportamento térmico interno como também no externo, uma redução da amplitude térmica interna em dia característico de verão (35,9 C), sendo capaz de r eduzir a temperatura interna em cerca de 2,0 C nos períodos mais quentes do dia e cerca de 4,0 C no ambiente externo em comparação com o telhado-testemunha (sem plantio), com potencial de modificação do microclima local. / The population growth and migration has increased the pressure on land use and urban occupation, increasing the problems of informal occupation (urban settlements) and environmental sanitation in large cities. This is even worse when urban floods occur. This project is part of a set of citizenship and social inclusion integrated actions in Jacarepaguá low-land hydrographic region, involving the Community of Vila Cascatinha, Vargem Grande, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, in order to propose new public policies for informal settlements. This study is part of HIDROCIDADES project (CNPq / CTHIDRO / CTAGRO), which focus on water conservation in the urban and peri-urban environment associated to citizenship, social inclusion and life quality improvements in large cities. This project applied an adapted technology for green roofs on social interest buildings (fiber-cement tiles), in order to verify constructive aspects, possible crops to with income raising potential, costs, the effects on surface flow control and other benefits, such as buildings thermal comfort improving, microclimate. Results, demonstrated, among others, the establishment of a methodology for implementing green roofs for social interest buildings, costs and preliminary crops. In addition, the establishment of the green roof showed effects on controlling surface runoff. During the application of the irrigation system for rainfall simulation it was observed up to 56% retention of the total precipitation. It was observed a delay up to 8 minutes to runoff peak when comparing to the flow over tiles roof. It was verified the external thermal behavior, reducing the internal temperature range of typical days in summer (35.9 C), being able to reduce internal temperature by 2.0 C durin g warmer periods of the day and about 4.0 C in the external environment, compared with the tiles roof, being efficient on the local microclimate modification.