This chapter (ch. 4, "Just Sustainability in Practice") of Agyeman is an extension of chapter 3, "Just Sustainability in Theory" and provides examples of issue categories in sustainability, and examples of how organizations in different cities have approached these issues. Agyeman provides the following points in the material:
"Despite the somewhat depressing overall picture, there are national environmental and sustainability membership organizations in the United States that are beginning to engage with the emergent JSP." The Just Sustainability Index was created to chart the current status of just sustainability discourse and provide a relatively "accurate" picture of an organization's commitment to the JSP by examining both "mission" and "program" issues. Throughout the chapter, Agyeman provides examples of organizations with sustainability concerns and practices that score a ""on the JSI (this is the highest score). A "3" is scored based on the criteria that the, "Core mission statement relates to intra- and intergenerational equity and justice and/or justice and equity occur in same sentence in prominent contemporary textual or programmatic material." Agyeman also notes that based on a conducted survey, more than 30 percent of selected national environmental and sustainability membership organizations had a JSI of "0," meaning that their core mission statements had no mention of justice or equity. "Ideas of sustainability and environmental justice are being applied together, and in practice, in different locations and contexts. Many are based on multistakeholder partnerships..." Agyeman provides three examples of organizations/implemented programs within each of five issue categories. These categories are land use planning, solid waste management, toxic chemical use, residential energy use, and transportation planning. The main point of tension within each category are as follows: Land-use planning: geographic segregation of both people and land utility, decreased social mobility; solid waste management: recycling facilities are not a welcome land use; toxic chemical use: right-to-know concept, toxic use reduction, Precautionary Principle, and clean production; residential energy use: "investment necessary to increase environmental efficiency of existing homes and reduce the ecological impact of new home construction is often seen as incompatible with affordability goals;" transportation planning: "large-scale highway projects have had a significant impact on minority and low-income neighborhoods while facilitating increased automobile use and emissions by wealthier suburban residents." "There are a minority of national environmental and sustainability membership-based organizations in the United State that show a state concern for equity and justice within the context of their work..." There are, however, several international organizations that have a JSI of 3. Some positive news is that the representative examples presented in each of the five issue categories are samples of local/practical initiatives: "Perhaps it is because they are smaller organizations, not large national membership-based organizations, that they can be more locally responsive to the needs of diverse communities."
This reading has a strong, clear, and relevant connection to the class and concept of greening cities. It is important to understand the issues at hand, and why certain attempts at addressing them may or may not be successful; such as large organizations with little concern for equity versus small/local operations that directly address problems at hand and can give attention to several groups of individuals. Also, it must be kept in mind that green cities are wonderful in theory, but are they sustainable in practice? Do they contribute to crumbling social structures, or help to strengthen them?
I was thrilled with the examples given in this chapter, especially because some presented are seen as controversial. This helps to eliminate the all-too-idealistic feeling of saving the world by making cities greener, and acknowledges the real and current problems that are created by living in complex societies. Although these small examples do not give some instruction as to how to implement similar operations, they do provide some examples for creative solutions.
Saturday, September 15, 2007
Friday, September 14, 2007
new resource
From a valuable Australian website http://www.sustainability.murdoch.edu.au/main.html, with excellent case studies
CITIES AS SUSTAINABLE ECOSYSTEMS Principles and Practices
Shipping Rates
Author/Editor: Peter Newman, Isabella Jennings
Price: $35.00
Format: Paperback | 296 Pages | 7 x 10 | Tables. Figures.
You may prefer the Hardcover edition.
Publisher: Island Press
Series:
Subject:
ISBN: 1-59726-188-2
Pub. Date: 11/30/2007
***Status: Available in the Fall
or call 1-800-621-2736
Modern city dwellers are largely detached from the environmental effects of their daily lives. The sources of the water they drink, the food they eat, and the energy they consume are all but invisible, often coming from other continents, and their waste ends up in places beyond their city boundaries.
Cities as Sustainable Ecosystems shows how cities and their residents can begin to reintegrate into their bioregional environment, and how cities themselves can be planned with nature’s organizing principles in mind. Taking cues from living systems for sustainability strategies, Newman and Jennings reassess urban design by exploring flows of energy, materials, and information, along with the interactions between human and non-human parts of the system.
Drawing on examples from all corners of the world, the authors explore natural patterns and processes that cities can emulate in order to move toward sustainability. Some cities have adopted simple strategies such as harvesting rainwater, greening roofs, and producing renewable energy. Others have created biodiversity parks for endangered species, community gardens that support a connection to their foodshed, and pedestrian-friendly spaces that encourage walking and cycling.
A powerful model for urban redevelopment, Cities as Sustainable Ecosystems describes aspects of urban ecosystems from the visioning process to achieving economic security to fostering a sense of place.
Peter Newman is professor of city policy and director of the Institute for Sustainability and Technology Policy at Murdoch University in Perth, Australia. He recently completed a Fulbright scholarship, which he spent at the University of Virginia studying sustainability initiatives in the U.S. He is the author of Sustainability and Cities (Island Press, 1999).
Isabella Jennings is a graduate student in the School of Environmental Science at Murdoch University. Her past and current research is related to the cities as sustainable ecosystems idea.
CITIES AS SUSTAINABLE ECOSYSTEMS Principles and Practices
Shipping Rates
Author/Editor: Peter Newman, Isabella Jennings
Price: $35.00
Format: Paperback | 296 Pages | 7 x 10 | Tables. Figures.
You may prefer the Hardcover edition.
Publisher: Island Press
Series:
Subject:
ISBN: 1-59726-188-2
Pub. Date: 11/30/2007
***Status: Available in the Fall
or call 1-800-621-2736
Modern city dwellers are largely detached from the environmental effects of their daily lives. The sources of the water they drink, the food they eat, and the energy they consume are all but invisible, often coming from other continents, and their waste ends up in places beyond their city boundaries.
Cities as Sustainable Ecosystems shows how cities and their residents can begin to reintegrate into their bioregional environment, and how cities themselves can be planned with nature’s organizing principles in mind. Taking cues from living systems for sustainability strategies, Newman and Jennings reassess urban design by exploring flows of energy, materials, and information, along with the interactions between human and non-human parts of the system.
Drawing on examples from all corners of the world, the authors explore natural patterns and processes that cities can emulate in order to move toward sustainability. Some cities have adopted simple strategies such as harvesting rainwater, greening roofs, and producing renewable energy. Others have created biodiversity parks for endangered species, community gardens that support a connection to their foodshed, and pedestrian-friendly spaces that encourage walking and cycling.
A powerful model for urban redevelopment, Cities as Sustainable Ecosystems describes aspects of urban ecosystems from the visioning process to achieving economic security to fostering a sense of place.
Peter Newman is professor of city policy and director of the Institute for Sustainability and Technology Policy at Murdoch University in Perth, Australia. He recently completed a Fulbright scholarship, which he spent at the University of Virginia studying sustainability initiatives in the U.S. He is the author of Sustainability and Cities (Island Press, 1999).
Isabella Jennings is a graduate student in the School of Environmental Science at Murdoch University. Her past and current research is related to the cities as sustainable ecosystems idea.
Guidelines for leading discussions
GUIDELINES AND TIPS FOR LEADING READING & REFLECTION-BASED DISCUSSIONS
PREPARING FOR AND STARTING THE DISCUSSION:
Read the reading for the week and the blog entries for the week's readings in search of engaging themes, questions, or dilemmas that seem critical to what we are doing in the course and what we need to do to effectively create sustainable cities in this country. Consider introducing the discussion topic with a thought-provoking question (or short statement or quotation) that addresses one of these significant issue or dilemmas - and that stimulates people's creative thinking and engagement with it. (Have another stimulating question handy, if needed). You can even do this a day in advance through the blog to warm things up.
Alternatively, summarize for the group the main concerns and interests that came up in the blog reflections and let the group decide what it wants to focus on.
A third option is to warm up the conversation in pairs, triads, or small groups
with the same approach you were going to use in the large group or with a more specific topic or task suited to a smaller unit, e.g. apply the readings & reflections to improving a real or imagined urban situation and then share in the large group.
Be clear about the goals of the conversation. Among other things, they could include:
• Group Learning - to learn collaboratively (from each other and together) about an aspect of the readings you think participants will really care about.
• Resource Sharing - to discover new approaches from each other & together
• Engagement/Application- to engage people in the relevance of the material to enhancing their lives, their professional development, and their community
• Hope/Empowerment - Bonus (may not be possible in a short session): thoughtful, heartfelt conversations about issues that really matter to people, can build, hope, empowerment and sustainable community.
Your primary role is to facilitate and support the group in having a substantial and satisfying conversation where as many members as possible participate and interact. (Ideally, for the group to experience itself as a creative, self-regulating system or “learning community”).
Creating a relaxed, trusting and inclusive atmosphere (not a rushed, heavily task-oriented feeling) is essential to the success of the conversation.
Participate but don’t dominate- If you have experience and expertise in the area being discussed, it's OK to let people know you are a resource and to respond as one when it seems especially helpful to the conversation. Be sure, however, NOT to become the center of the conversation. Similarly, if you have perspectives you'd like to share on the topic, participate respectfully and sparingly as a member of a circle, but don’t use your role as discussion leader to dominate and direct the conversation.
+++++++++++++++++
DURING THE DISCUSSION:
Note: It’s hard for one person to do all of these functions well, so divvying up tasks with a co-leader is a great way to go. Either way, do you best and that will be fine.
Model the openness, respectfulness, inclusiveness and engagement you'd like to see happen in the conversation.
Read the group energy and people’s “body language” to sense what it needs next and to see if hidden issues, disagreements, or misunderstandings need surfacing and clarification.
Summarizing- Sense if and when it may be helpful to summarize where the conversation is going part way through, or near the end, but avoid giving your slant about what it all means.
Inclusion- Choose whether to use a “go-around” or anyone-goes/”popcorn” discussion format. If using the latter format, notice over time who is not speaking at all and draw them out by asking for comments from those who haven’t spoken yet.
If someone keeps dominating the conversation, you can: state clearly that we want to hear from as many members as possible, and/or turn to others and draw them out, and/or, gently but firmly ask that person to give others a chance to speak.
Drifting Conversation- If the group seems to wander off in many directions incoherently, you can:
a) Remind people of the main theme and ask them to come back to it. b) Summarize (or ask the group or a group member to summarize) the major thread(s) of the conversation so far, and invite people to build on it (them)them or move on to the next piece that seems appropriate. c) Gently but firmly rein in the 1 or 2 members who may be derailing the focus.
Airy conversation- If the conversation feels nebulous and abstract, remind people of the special opportunity they have to learn from each other’s experiences, resources, connections, etc.
Closing - Optional, very satisfying: Use the last 5 minutes to do a short (20 second or one sentence each) go-around on what people got from the discussion and/or what’s an action step they’re going to follow-up on/try on, when they get back home or back to work.
Thanks for eagerness to share leadership and learning!
Elan
PREPARING FOR AND STARTING THE DISCUSSION:
Read the reading for the week and the blog entries for the week's readings in search of engaging themes, questions, or dilemmas that seem critical to what we are doing in the course and what we need to do to effectively create sustainable cities in this country. Consider introducing the discussion topic with a thought-provoking question (or short statement or quotation) that addresses one of these significant issue or dilemmas - and that stimulates people's creative thinking and engagement with it. (Have another stimulating question handy, if needed). You can even do this a day in advance through the blog to warm things up.
Alternatively, summarize for the group the main concerns and interests that came up in the blog reflections and let the group decide what it wants to focus on.
A third option is to warm up the conversation in pairs, triads, or small groups
with the same approach you were going to use in the large group or with a more specific topic or task suited to a smaller unit, e.g. apply the readings & reflections to improving a real or imagined urban situation and then share in the large group.
Be clear about the goals of the conversation. Among other things, they could include:
• Group Learning - to learn collaboratively (from each other and together) about an aspect of the readings you think participants will really care about.
• Resource Sharing - to discover new approaches from each other & together
• Engagement/Application- to engage people in the relevance of the material to enhancing their lives, their professional development, and their community
• Hope/Empowerment - Bonus (may not be possible in a short session): thoughtful, heartfelt conversations about issues that really matter to people, can build, hope, empowerment and sustainable community.
Your primary role is to facilitate and support the group in having a substantial and satisfying conversation where as many members as possible participate and interact. (Ideally, for the group to experience itself as a creative, self-regulating system or “learning community”).
Creating a relaxed, trusting and inclusive atmosphere (not a rushed, heavily task-oriented feeling) is essential to the success of the conversation.
Participate but don’t dominate- If you have experience and expertise in the area being discussed, it's OK to let people know you are a resource and to respond as one when it seems especially helpful to the conversation. Be sure, however, NOT to become the center of the conversation. Similarly, if you have perspectives you'd like to share on the topic, participate respectfully and sparingly as a member of a circle, but don’t use your role as discussion leader to dominate and direct the conversation.
+++++++++++++++++
DURING THE DISCUSSION:
Note: It’s hard for one person to do all of these functions well, so divvying up tasks with a co-leader is a great way to go. Either way, do you best and that will be fine.
Model the openness, respectfulness, inclusiveness and engagement you'd like to see happen in the conversation.
Read the group energy and people’s “body language” to sense what it needs next and to see if hidden issues, disagreements, or misunderstandings need surfacing and clarification.
Summarizing- Sense if and when it may be helpful to summarize where the conversation is going part way through, or near the end, but avoid giving your slant about what it all means.
Inclusion- Choose whether to use a “go-around” or anyone-goes/”popcorn” discussion format. If using the latter format, notice over time who is not speaking at all and draw them out by asking for comments from those who haven’t spoken yet.
If someone keeps dominating the conversation, you can: state clearly that we want to hear from as many members as possible, and/or turn to others and draw them out, and/or, gently but firmly ask that person to give others a chance to speak.
Drifting Conversation- If the group seems to wander off in many directions incoherently, you can:
a) Remind people of the main theme and ask them to come back to it. b) Summarize (or ask the group or a group member to summarize) the major thread(s) of the conversation so far, and invite people to build on it (them)them or move on to the next piece that seems appropriate. c) Gently but firmly rein in the 1 or 2 members who may be derailing the focus.
Airy conversation- If the conversation feels nebulous and abstract, remind people of the special opportunity they have to learn from each other’s experiences, resources, connections, etc.
Closing - Optional, very satisfying: Use the last 5 minutes to do a short (20 second or one sentence each) go-around on what people got from the discussion and/or what’s an action step they’re going to follow-up on/try on, when they get back home or back to work.
Thanks for eagerness to share leadership and learning!
Elan
Recommended Books for Additional Reading
Here's a recommended booklist, starting with sustainable communities and broadening out from there. Please add your own favorites to the resource sharing section. List of great websites coming soon.
Sustainable Communities - Resources
Toward Sustainable Communities: Resources For Citizens and Their Governments, Mark Roseland
Ecocities: Building Cities in Balance With Nature. Richard Register
Green Urbanism: Learning from European Cities T. Beatly
Creating a Life Together: Practical Tools to Grow Ecovillages & Intentional Communities, Diana Leaf Christian
Ecovillage at
Sustainable Community: Learning From the Cohousing Model, Graham Meltzer
Gaviotas: A Village To Reinvent The World, Alan Weisman
Sustainable Communities and The Challenge Of Environmental Justice, Julian Agyeman
The Key to Sustainable Cities: Meeting Human Needs, Transforming Community Systems, Gwendolyn Hallsmith
Superbia: 31 ways to Create Sustainable Neighborhoods, Dan Chiras and Dave Wann
The
Natural Capitalism: Creating Industrial Revolution, Paul Hawken, Amory B. Lovins and L. Hunter Lovins
Plan B 2.0: Rescuing a Planet Under Stress and a Civilization in Trouble, Lester Brown
Cradle to Cradle: Remaking the Way We Make Things, William McDonough and Michael Braungart
Biomimicry: Innovation Inspired by Nature, Janine M. Benyus
Ecological Literacy: Educating our Children for a Sustainable World, Stone, Barlow, Ed.
Hope's Edge: The Next Diet for a Small
Promise Ahead: A Vision of Hope and Action for Humanity's Future, Duane
Our Ecological Footprint: Reducing Human Impact on the Earth, Wackernagel &Rees
Sharing Nature’s Interest: Ecological Footprints as an Indicator of Sustainability, Nicky Changers, Craig Simons, Mathis Wackernagel
Fostering Sustainable Behaviors: An Introduction to Community-Based Social Marketing, Doug Mckenzie-Mohr, William Smith
Radical Simplicity: Small Footprints on a Finite Earth Jim Merkel
Getting a Life: Strategies For Simple Living Based on Your Money or Your Life Jacqueline Blix and David Heitmiler
Stuff: The Secret Lives of Everyday Things, John C. Ryan and Alan Thein Durning
The World Café: Shaping Our Futures Through Conversations That Matter, Brown, Isaacs, Et Al.
Turning To One Another: Simple Conversations To Restore Hope to the Future, Margaret Wheatley
Finding our way: Leadership for an Uncertain Time, Margaret Wheatley
Wherever You Go, There You Are: Mindfulness Meditation in Everyday Life, Jon Kabat-Zinn
Coming to Our Senses: Healing Ourselves & the World Through Mindfulness , Jon Kabat-Zinn
Coming Back To Life: Practices To Reconnect Our Lives, Our World, Joanna Macy
Nonviolent Communication: Create Your Life, Your Relationships and Your World in Harmony With Your Values, Marshall Rosenberg
Ecopsychology: Restoring the Earth, Healing the Mind, Roszak, Gomes, Kanner
Thursday, September 13, 2007
Chapter 3: Just Sustainability in Theory
In Chapter 3: "Just Sustainability in Theory" of Sustainable Communities and the Challenge of Environmental Justice, Julian Agyeman claims that the JSP (Just Sustainability Paradigm) is a bridge between the NEP (New Environmental Paradigm) and the EJP (Environmental Justice Paradigm). The four main focal areas of concern of the JSP are quality of life, present and future generations, justice and equity, and living within ecosystem limits. Agymen explains the following three points:
If we are to develop more cooperative endeavors and look toward movement fusion, we need to know why the gap exists between the EJP and NEP. This gap must be bridged with frank and open discussion. These two movements had very different beginnings, with the environmental justice movement had community/grassroots beginnings (bottom-up) whereas the sustainability agenda came from expert committees and governments. There has been a history of mistrust between these two movements, and the environmental justice movement is more diverse (in all ways) than the sustainability movement because it arose from popular instead of expert origins.
There is an ongoing green-brown sustainability interpretation battle. This battle is between the richer countries of the North ("green") who are concerned with environmental protection , biodiversity, and protecting the ozone; and the poorer countries of the South ("brown") who are concerned with the alleviation poverty, infrastructural development, health, and education. This is paralleled in the US by the narrow vs. broad focus environmentalism (NEP vs. EJP/JSP). Another paralleled issue is the historical "ecological debt" that the South says is owed by the North.
"If the wider public is to support such progressive policies, there must be an entitlement to a cross-curricular 'education for sustainability' in schools and universities and broadly based, accessible popular education campaign." Purely information-based campaigns (whether run by non-profits or governmental bodies) tend to fail. Behaviors of groups of people need to be changed, which can be accomplished through social marketing. Agyeman cites McKenzie-Mohr and Smith (1999): " the primary advantage of social marketing over other forms of community education is that it starts with people's behavior and works backward to select a particular tactic suited for that behavior."
This chapter of Agyeman's book presents solid, although theoretic ideas. The author supports his statements with examples of successfully implemented programs. However, no examples are presented of implemented/unsuccessful programs or theory. I would have liked to see more criticism instead of pure praise.
If we are to develop more cooperative endeavors and look toward movement fusion, we need to know why the gap exists between the EJP and NEP. This gap must be bridged with frank and open discussion. These two movements had very different beginnings, with the environmental justice movement had community/grassroots beginnings (bottom-up) whereas the sustainability agenda came from expert committees and governments. There has been a history of mistrust between these two movements, and the environmental justice movement is more diverse (in all ways) than the sustainability movement because it arose from popular instead of expert origins.
There is an ongoing green-brown sustainability interpretation battle. This battle is between the richer countries of the North ("green") who are concerned with environmental protection , biodiversity, and protecting the ozone; and the poorer countries of the South ("brown") who are concerned with the alleviation poverty, infrastructural development, health, and education. This is paralleled in the US by the narrow vs. broad focus environmentalism (NEP vs. EJP/JSP). Another paralleled issue is the historical "ecological debt" that the South says is owed by the North.
"If the wider public is to support such progressive policies, there must be an entitlement to a cross-curricular 'education for sustainability' in schools and universities and broadly based, accessible popular education campaign." Purely information-based campaigns (whether run by non-profits or governmental bodies) tend to fail. Behaviors of groups of people need to be changed, which can be accomplished through social marketing. Agyeman cites McKenzie-Mohr and Smith (1999): " the primary advantage of social marketing over other forms of community education is that it starts with people's behavior and works backward to select a particular tactic suited for that behavior."
This chapter of Agyeman's book presents solid, although theoretic ideas. The author supports his statements with examples of successfully implemented programs. However, no examples are presented of implemented/unsuccessful programs or theory. I would have liked to see more criticism instead of pure praise.
Wednesday, September 12, 2007
Introduction:
This chapter introduces the idea that environmental justice and sustainability movements have been opposing forces in the past. The idea that sustainability ( along with buying organic, shopping local etc) has been the privilege of the morally minded middle class while environmental justice has been a struggle for proper provision of basic necessities (clean drinking water, non-toxic food supplies, etc). The idea is then introduced that sustainability can really only be achieved from a cooperation of these two forces.
Chapter 1:
This chapter provided a history of the environmental justice movement in relation to civil rights movements. Environmental justice as a bottom up grassroots movement, much like the civil rights movement, is at the opposite side of the top down approach of new environmentalism (which focuses more on preserving wildlife as opposed to the threat of toxics in an urban area as a result of environmental racism)
These first chapters provided an interesting history of the two movements which not many people think about. I was interested by how much thought is put into the definition of each particular issue because it illustrated just how important clarifying terms truly is.
I think that this book is an interesting read, my only criticism of this book is that it seems repetitive to someone who is already familiar with these concepts. It seems like everything I read about sustainability is not really new information, just further definition and clarification of what already makes sense. The interesting parts are the case studies because people make far greater strides in improving the principles and methods of sustainability when they try them out in the real, day to day world.
This chapter introduces the idea that environmental justice and sustainability movements have been opposing forces in the past. The idea that sustainability ( along with buying organic, shopping local etc) has been the privilege of the morally minded middle class while environmental justice has been a struggle for proper provision of basic necessities (clean drinking water, non-toxic food supplies, etc). The idea is then introduced that sustainability can really only be achieved from a cooperation of these two forces.
Chapter 1:
This chapter provided a history of the environmental justice movement in relation to civil rights movements. Environmental justice as a bottom up grassroots movement, much like the civil rights movement, is at the opposite side of the top down approach of new environmentalism (which focuses more on preserving wildlife as opposed to the threat of toxics in an urban area as a result of environmental racism)
These first chapters provided an interesting history of the two movements which not many people think about. I was interested by how much thought is put into the definition of each particular issue because it illustrated just how important clarifying terms truly is.
I think that this book is an interesting read, my only criticism of this book is that it seems repetitive to someone who is already familiar with these concepts. It seems like everything I read about sustainability is not really new information, just further definition and clarification of what already makes sense. The interesting parts are the case studies because people make far greater strides in improving the principles and methods of sustainability when they try them out in the real, day to day world.
9/18 Assignment & comments
Hi Folks
Clarifying the assignment for 9/18
Read another chapter in Agyeman that fills in more theory OR more practical application/examples, as appropriate. And, if possible, check out some of the local & national resources in the sheets I gave you. Have your blog entry address in our usual format what comes up for you, and, if possible, link it to previous work (Greening/Urban Ecology, Systems strategies, and Tuesday’s focus on justice, sustainability, and neighborhood participation /citizen empowerment fit together very nicely) Our discussion leaders, Carlos and Melissa, will go further in leading our group discussion (you’re welcome to send in suggestions to them).
Highly Recommended, not required: what I handed out on Tuesday: Chapter 4 Greening the City from “Toward Sustainable Communities: Resources For Citizens and Their Governments”, by Mark Roseland (sorry about omitting book title on the handout). By the way, check the Course Resources link for a booklist of my favorite sources on Sustainable Cities, Sustainable Living, etc.
We will take time for sharing about behavior change journals, so be sure to keep moving forward steadily with your efforts and reflections on them, and to bring the journals to class. How might the justice focus affect your approach to social sustainability behaviors??
Theresa will share the case presentation she had ready this week, and hopefully Tania will share the urban ecology observations she didn’t get to do this week. Ron will send out a detailed revised schedule about the case presentations, nature in the city, and discussion leaders this week. We adjusted it to spread the presentations out more evenly, so check carefully to see if it works for you
Short project reports will also be in order. Make sure everyone in your team knows what he or she is doing next and how to be well connected and accountable to each other and your community contacts. If simply self-organizing isn’t clear enough, make sure you have a contact person/convener or rotating convenership, and a game plan for communicating and working together.
I look forward to seeing you on Tuesday.
Elan
Clarifying the assignment for 9/18
Read another chapter in Agyeman that fills in more theory OR more practical application/examples, as appropriate. And, if possible, check out some of the local & national resources in the sheets I gave you. Have your blog entry address in our usual format what comes up for you, and, if possible, link it to previous work (Greening/Urban Ecology, Systems strategies, and Tuesday’s focus on justice, sustainability, and neighborhood participation /citizen empowerment fit together very nicely) Our discussion leaders, Carlos and Melissa, will go further in leading our group discussion (you’re welcome to send in suggestions to them).
Highly Recommended, not required: what I handed out on Tuesday: Chapter 4 Greening the City from “Toward Sustainable Communities: Resources For Citizens and Their Governments”, by Mark Roseland (sorry about omitting book title on the handout). By the way, check the Course Resources link for a booklist of my favorite sources on Sustainable Cities, Sustainable Living, etc.
We will take time for sharing about behavior change journals, so be sure to keep moving forward steadily with your efforts and reflections on them, and to bring the journals to class. How might the justice focus affect your approach to social sustainability behaviors??
Theresa will share the case presentation she had ready this week, and hopefully Tania will share the urban ecology observations she didn’t get to do this week. Ron will send out a detailed revised schedule about the case presentations, nature in the city, and discussion leaders this week. We adjusted it to spread the presentations out more evenly, so check carefully to see if it works for you
Short project reports will also be in order. Make sure everyone in your team knows what he or she is doing next and how to be well connected and accountable to each other and your community contacts. If simply self-organizing isn’t clear enough, make sure you have a contact person/convener or rotating convenership, and a game plan for communicating and working together.
I look forward to seeing you on Tuesday.
Elan
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)