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Social learning and sustainable communities: an interim assessment of research into sustainable communities projects in the UK

Research output: Contribution to Journal/MagazineJournal articlepeer-review

Published
  • Joe Smith
  • James Blake
  • Robin Grove-White
  • Elham Kashefi
  • Sarah Madden
  • Sue Percy
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<mark>Journal publication date</mark>1999
<mark>Journal</mark>Local Environment : The International Journal of Justice and Sustainability
Issue number2
Volume4
Number of pages13
Pages (from-to)195-207
Publication StatusPublished
<mark>Original language</mark>English

Abstract

The delivery of many of the most pressing environmental issues will rely on changes in environmental attitudes and behaviour at community level. At a UN Special Session in 1997, the British Government highlighted its initiatives on Local Agenda 21 (LA21) and Going for Green (GFG) as significant advances. This paper adds a new perspective, drawing on the range of experiences of some of the research teams that have been working with local authorities on pilot Sustainable Community Projects (SCPs) in England and Scotland. It sheds light on three substantive themes: the tensions inherent in the implementation of internationally and nationally agreed goals through local action; the ambiguity of local agencies acting as facilitators of community ownership of processes, and the requirements for successful partnership between local authorities and higher education.