Planning for Sustainable
City-Regions:
Cultivating the Value of
Community Engagement and
Social Innovation
Dr Alex Franklin
Sustainable Places Research Institute
Cardiff University
UK
franklina1@cardiff.ac.uk
www.cardiff.ac.uk/research/sustainableplaces/
Planning for Sustainable
City-Regions: Community Engagement
Environmental
Sustainable
City-Regions
Social
Economic
Planning for Sustainable
City-Regions: Community Engagement
Environmental
Sustainable
City-Regions
Social
Economic
Planning for Sustainable
City-Regions: Community Engagement
Environmental
Sustainable
City-Regions
Social
Economic
Planning for Sustainable
City-Regions: Community Engagement
Environmental
Community Engagement
and Social Innovation
Social
Economic
Planning for Sustainable
City-Regions: Community Engagement
Government/ Public Sector
Planning for
Sustainable City-Regions
Community Groups,
Third Sector
and Civil Society
Private sector
Business
Planning for Sustainable
City-Regions: Community Engagement
Government/ Public Sector
Planning for
Sustainable City-Regions
Community Groups,
Third Sector
and Civil Society
Private sector
Business
Planning for Sustainable
City-Regions: Community Engagement
Government/ Public Sector
Planning for
Sustainable City-Regions
Community Groups,
Third Sector
and Civil Society
Private sector
Business
Planning for Sustainable
City-Regions: Community Engagement
Why engage community groups?
- Need for greater understanding of individual choices,
lifestyles followed, but also the social networks in
which people are enrolled
- Scaling-up: the need to stimulate pro-environmental
behaviour change at both the individual and
community level
-Complexity – multiple communities, multiple needs,
multiple interests
Planning for Sustainable
City-Regions: Community Engagement
Why engage community groups?
- Value of local knowledge and existing social
networks
- Community groups as sites of innovation
- Community groups as extremely active in pushing
the sustainability agenda forward at the local scale
-Need for an integrated approach
Planning for Sustainable
City-Regions: Community Engagement
Cities
Planning for
Sustainable City-Regions
Villages/
Towns
Rural Space/
agricultural land
Planning for Sustainable
City-Regions: Community Engagement
Food
Energy
Waste
Planning for
Sustainable City-Regions
Housing
Water
Transport
Planning for Sustainable
City-Regions: Community Engagement
Towards
Sustainable
communities
–
Community
Housing
www.cardiff.ac.uk/research/sustainableplaces/
Planning for Sustainable
City-Regions: Community Engagement
Co-ordination
of travel
Towards
Sustainable
Transport
www.cardiff.ac.uk/research/sustainableplaces/
Planning for Sustainable
City-Regions: Community Engagement
Co-ordination
of local food
supply chains
Towards
Sustainable
Food
www.cardiff.ac.uk/research/sustainableplaces/
Planning for Sustainable
City-Regions: Community Engagement
Towards
Sustainable
communities
–
Community
Land Trusts
www.cardiff.ac.uk/research/sustainableplaces/
Planning for Sustainable
City-Regions: Community Engagement
Towards
Sustainable
communities
–
Green
Buildings and
Homes
www.cardiff.ac.uk/research/sustainableplaces/
Planning for Sustainable
City-Regions: Community Engagement
How to engage whole communities?
- The value of local knowledge:
“Local people know best what needs to be done to
promote the sustainability of their area”
(UK Sustainable Communities Act. 2007)
- The value of lay as well as professional knowledge
Planning for Sustainable
City-Regions: Community Engagement
How to engage whole communities?
In addition to specific skills, stronger generic skills,
knowledge and training will prove essential.
Including:
- project management
- inclusive visioning
- leadership
- process management
- stakeholder management - conflict resolution
- customer awareness
- analysis
- team and partnership working
(Egan 2004)
Planning for Sustainable
City-Regions: Community Engagement
How to engage whole communities?
Key behaviours:
- creativity
- strategic thinking
- being open to change
- awareness of assumptions
- flexibility
- entrepreneurialism
- co-operation
(Egan 2004)
Planning for Sustainable
City-Regions: Community Engagement
Conclusions: community engagement and social innovation
-Consider how the various members and sectors of community
can be engaged and motivated to participate in delivering
strategies, actions and activities within their own community
-Consider how community and third sector groups can be
encouraged to work with the public sector in order that a series
of initiatives can be scaled-up
-Identify key sustainability issues (for example, food, transport,
energy, waste) which can be used as a focal point to stimulate
activity
-Identify significant individuals/ groups who will be able to
encourage participation of others and act as intermediaries
between the community and government departments
Planning for Sustainable
City-Regions: Community Engagement
Conclusions: community engagement and social innovation
- Examine the demands likely to be placed on existing
skills and knowledge base of public sector employees
to make progress towards sustainable city-regions
through a community engagement informed approach
-Identify opportunities to incorporate community
sustainability initiatives in local development strategies
- Review how community groups can best be
supported to address any current skills and expertise
deficits, and ask the right questions to determine their
future sustainability requirements
Planning for Sustainable
City-Regions: Community Engagement
THANK YOU!
Acknowledgement: All of the case study examples of social innovation used in the
presentation are sourced from Stroud, England. Their energy and dedication to
sustainable place making, and the time they have given to Cardiff University
researchers since initial contact was made in 2007, deserves special
acknowledgement.
Dr Alex Franklin
Sustainable Places Research Institute
Cardiff University
UK
franklina1@cardiff.ac.uk
www.cardiff.ac.uk/research/sustainableplaces/