Www.cardiff.ac.uk/research/sustainableplaces/ Planning for Sustainable City-Regions: Cultivating the Value of Community Engagement and Social Innovation

www.cardiff.ac.uk/research/sustainableplaces/

Planning for SustainableCity-Regions:

Cultivating the Value of Community Engagement and

Social Innovation

Dr Alex Franklin

Sustainable Places Research InstituteCardiff University

[email protected]

Sustainable City-Regions

Environmental

Planning for SustainableCity-Regions: Community Engagement

Social Economic

Environmental

Social Economic

Physical P

lanning and

Technological solutions



Environmental

Social Economic

Physical P

lanning and

Technological solutions



Community Engagement and Social Innovation

Environmental

Social Economic


Planning for Sustainable City-Regions

Government/ Public Sector

Community Groups, Third Sector

and Civil Society

Private sector Business





and Civil SocietyPrivate sector

Business





and Civil SocietyPrivate sector

Business


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


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



Cities

Villages/ Towns

Rural Space/ agricultural land



Energy

Housing Transport


Water

WasteFood


Towards Sustainable

communities –

Community Housing



Co-ordination of travel

-Towards

Sustainable Transport



Co-ordination of local food

supply chains -

Towards Sustainable

Food



Towards Sustainable

communities –

Community Land Trusts



Towards Sustainable

communities –

Green Buildings and

Homes


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



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)



Key behaviours: - creativity- strategic thinking- being open to change- awareness of assumptions- flexibility- entrepreneurialism- co-operation

(Egan 2004)


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


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



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 InstituteCardiff University

[email protected]


Documents

Www.cardiff.ac.uk/research/sustainableplaces/ Planning for Sustainable City-Regions: Cultivating the Value of Community Engagement and Social Innovation