Governing local sustainability

TLDR

The DISCUS project, funded by the European Commission, provides the context for this investigation of local sustainability. The study proposes a conceptual framework linking institutional capital, social capital, and governance to explain how local sustainability is governed. The authors conducted an in‑depth study of 40 European towns and cities from 2001–2004 to examine institutional and social factors influencing local sustainable development outcomes. The study finds that successful sustainable development policies are linked to strong civil society engagement, high institutional capacity, and confident local governments that can address long‑term issues and maintain a strategic vision for sustainability.

Abstract

Abstract This paper draws upon the DISCUS (Developing Institutional and Social Capacity for Sustainable Development) research project, co-funded by the European Commission. The project was undertaken during 2001 – 2004 and involved an in-depth study of 40 European towns and cities in order to understand the institutional and social factors and conditions that might contribute to policy 'achievement' or 'failure' in local sustainable development policy and practice. Based on the findings of this research it proposes a conceptual framework for local sustainable development, linking the concepts of institutional capital, social capital and governance to provide a model for understanding the governing of local sustainability. The research shows that in those cases that exhibit sustainable development policy achievements, there are also greater levels of civil society activity and knowledge regarding sustainability issues, and high levels of institutional capacity. Confident local government is crucial to the development of institutional capacity and to institutional learning. One aspect of this is local authorities being equipped to address the longer-term issues and to have a strategic vision for a sustainable future.