Social Sustainability?: Exploring the Relationship between Community Experience and Perceptions of the Environment

Abstract

This study uses the Rural Utah Community Study (RUCS) to explore how social sustainability shapes a community’s approach to environmental sustainability. The results indicate that respondents who feel attached to and are satisfied with their community had a more positive relationship with the natural environment than those who were dissatisfied with their communities. We also find evidence that social ties, measured by the number of people known by their first name in the community, positively influence perceptions of the environment, and that a significant link exists between environmental sustainability and a higher sense of community belonging.