Implementing Environmental Sustainability in Local Government: The Impacts of Framing, Agency Culture, and Structure in US Cities and Counties

2016 ◽  
Vol 40 (3) ◽  
pp. 270-283 ◽  
Author(s):  
Lucie Laurian ◽  
Mark Walker ◽  
Jan Crawford
Keyword(s):  
Local Government ◽  
Environmental Sustainability ◽  
Us Cities

scholarly journals Dissemination of Environmental Information and its Effects on Stakeholders’ Decision-Making: A Comparative Study between Swedish and Polish Municipalities

2017 ◽  
Vol 10 (2) ◽  
pp. 9-47
Author(s):  
Anna Cregård ◽  
Iwona Sobis
Keyword(s):  
Decision Making ◽  
Sustainable Development ◽  
Local Government ◽  
Natural Environment ◽  
Environmental Sustainability ◽  
Current Knowledge ◽  
Environmental Information ◽  
Development Economic ◽  
Agenda 21 ◽  
Positive Effects

Abstract According to Action Agenda 21, which was adopted at the Rio Conference in 1992, sustainable development is a major objective for local and global development. Economic growth, good living conditions, and protection of the earth’s natural environment are important to all people in the world. This article focuses on one aspect of sustainable development, i.e. on environmental sustainability. Research shows that local government can take a leading position in protecting the natural environment and disseminating information on it among stakeholders. However, our knowledge about the dissemination of environmental information practices among stakeholders is limited. The purpose of this research is to fill a gap in current knowledge, to describe and compare the practical work with dissemination of such information among stakeholders in Swedish and Polish municipalities. The questions to be answered are: What environmental information is collected and produced by the local government ? At what stakeholders is such information targeted ? and What effects does it have on decision-making by stakeholders in the investigated municipalities ? The study is based on state regulations, the homepages of municipal offices, and policy documents, official reports, and semi-structured interviews with key managers responsible for the protection of the natural environment in the studied municipalities. Data were collected from late 2015 to early 2017. This research indicates that dissemination of environmental information has a positive effect on the decision-making of internal stakeholders. In both countries, the municipal authorities follow the EU recommendations, resulting in innovative work and growing environmental awareness among the municipal authorities, the residents, and other stakeholders. Improvement of the natural environment is perceived as “a must” for the future. Nonetheless, especially larger municipalities face challenges because the production and dissemination of environmental information is time-consuming. In the long run, however, surprisingly positive effects on the local protection of the natural environment appear.

Re-imagining the sustainability narrative in US cities

2014 ◽  
Vol 7 (3) ◽  
pp. 189-205 ◽  
Author(s):  
Staci M. Zavattaro
Keyword(s):  
Critical Theory ◽  
Environmental Sustainability ◽  
Status Quo ◽  
Media Analysis ◽  
Narrative Form ◽  
Economic Interests ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Environmental Narratives ◽  
The Status ◽  
Us Cities

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to explore how US cities are communicating a sustainability narrative. Based on an analysis, cities are using a sustainability narrative focusing on environmental sustainability and consumption. Critical theory is introduced as a means to imagine alternative narratives. Design/methodology/approach – Exploratory in nature, this study relied on qualitative media analysis to analyze documents and images gathered from 22 US city websites. Critical theory is then introduced to provide a conceptual way forward from the status quo narrative form. Findings – Cities are utilizing environmental narratives largely, rather than including social and economic interests inherent within holistic sustainability practices. Moreover, cities are promoting sustainability as consumption, a practice that is inherently not sustainable. Critical theory explains that marketers are relying on the “status quo” when it comes to crafting a sustainability narrative. Practical implications – Destination marketing managers can think outside of given narratives to create their own sustainability stories that might help the place achieve a competitive advantage. Originality/value – Knowledge into sustainability marketing practices is extended by revealing a consumption narrative and utilizing critical theory to move beyond this status quo.

scholarly journals Is green economy achievable through championing green growth? A local government experience from Zambia

2016 ◽  
Vol 8 (3) ◽  
Author(s):  
Phiri Rodgers
Keyword(s):  
Local Government ◽  
Environmental Sustainability ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Policy Formulation ◽  
Green Economy ◽  
Green Growth ◽  
Economic Activities ◽  
Goods And Services ◽  
The People ◽  
Government Experience

The need to enhance environmental sustainability, sustainable development and growth that takes into account the well-being of the people and nature because of the increased production and consumption of goods and services is the major driver to the introduction of green economy in Zambia and countries in southern Africa. This article examines the extent to which local government in Zambia has embraced green growth and green economy and critically analyses the concept of green economy and green growth. This study is based on a review of planning and policy documents, a household questionnaire survey and interviews with various institutions, planners and rural development organisations. A number of policies implemented at the local government level were analysed and reflected upon irrespective of whether they contain the components of green growth and green economy and the extent to which they contribute to attaining green economy. The article argues that the need for economic diversification is important as far as green economy is concerned. The article recommends the need to invest in research and development in order to find more carbon-free economic activities. The conclusion is that local government is key to achieving green growth and green economy, because it is involved at all levels, from policy formulation to implementation.

Leading-Edge Information Technologies and American Local Governments

2003 ◽  
pp. 139-169 ◽  
Author(s):  
Donald F. Norris
Keyword(s):  
Local Government ◽  
Local Governments ◽  
Information Technologies ◽  
Leading Edge ◽  
Electronic Government ◽  
Future Trends ◽  
Edge Information ◽  
Form Of Government ◽  
Efficiency And Effectiveness ◽  
Us Cities

In this study, I examine the adoption, penetration and impacts of the adoption of leading-edge information technologies in American local governments. I also discuss future trends with respect to these technologies. Data for this study come from three nationwide surveys of information technology in local governments and a series of case studies in US cities about the adoption of leading-edge information technologies. My principal findings are that American local governments have adopted a range of these technologies and can be expected to do so in coming years. This is especially true of the adoption of electronic government. Local government characteristics associated with adoption include principally local government size as measured by population. Other characteristics include type and form of government, region of the country, and metropolitan status. Additionally, local governments adopt leading-edge information technologies for both general reasons (e.g., to improve efficiency and effectiveness) and to solve specific problems (e.g., the adoption of automated fingerprint identification systems to solve crimes).

Stakeholder Pressures and Local Government Environmental Sustainability Policy

2020 ◽  
Vol 2020 (1) ◽  
pp. 19447
Author(s):  
Won No ◽  
Nicole Darnall ◽  
Justin Michael Stritch ◽  
Stuart Bretschneider
Keyword(s):  
Local Government ◽  
Environmental Sustainability ◽  
Sustainability Policy ◽  
Stakeholder Pressures

scholarly journals Food Service Guideline Policies on Local Government–Controlled Properties

2019 ◽  
Vol 33 (8) ◽  
pp. 1166-1173
Author(s):  
Hatidza Zaganjor ◽  
Katherine Bishop Kendrick ◽  
Stephen Onufrak ◽  
Julie Ralston Aoki ◽  
Laurie P. Whitsel ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Local Government ◽  
Local Governments ◽  
Quantitative Research ◽  
Food Service ◽  
Inclusion Criteria ◽  
Behavioral Design ◽  
Key Policy ◽  
Policy Alignment ◽  
Classification Tool ◽  
Us Cities

Purpose: Local governments can implement food service guideline (FSG) policies, which, in large cities, may reach millions of people. This study identified FSG policies among the 20 largest US cities and analyzed them for key FSG policy attributes. Design: Quantitative research. Setting: Local government facilities. Participants: Twenty largest US cities. Measures: Frequency of FSG policies and percent alignment to tool. Analysis: Using municipal legal code libraries and other data sources, FSG policies enacted as of December 31, 2016, were identified. Full-text reviews were conducted of identified policies to determine whether they met inclusion criteria. Included policies were analyzed for key policy attributes specific to nutrition, behavioral design, implementation, and facility efficiency. Results: Searches identified 469 potential FSG policies, of which 6 policies across 5 cities met inclusion criteria. Five policies met a majority of criteria assessed by the classification tool. Overall alignment to the tool ranged from 17% to 88%. Of the 6 policies, 5 met a majority of the nutrition attributes and 5 met at least 50% of attributes associated with implementation. No policies met the attributes associated with facility efficiency. Conclusion: The FSG policies were identified in 5 of the 20 US cities. Policy alignment was high for nutrition and implementation attributes. This analysis suggests that when cities adopt FSG policies, many develop policies that align with key policy attributes. These policies can serve as models for other jurisdictions to create healthier food access through FSGs.

scholarly journals How to Deliver Smart Heritage within Local Government: Defining Smart Heritage and Smart Heritage Principles

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
◽  
David Batchelor
Keyword(s):  
Local Government ◽  
Case Studies ◽  
Environmental Sustainability ◽  
Smart City ◽  
Local Governments ◽  
City Council ◽  
Academic Literature ◽  
Heritage Discourse ◽  
The City

<p><b>Local governments are innovatively applying smart city technology to resolve challenges in their jurisdictions. These challenges commonly relate to environmental sustainability, infrastructure, and transportation, and result in novel discourses within local government strategies and operations, such as Smart Environment, Smart Infrastructure, and Smart Mobility. Driven by the success of these discourses, local governments seek further solutions through converging the smart city technology with other disciplines. The next likely convergence is with the heritage discipline, subsequently producing the Smart Heritage discourse. Academic literature records that Smart Heritage is an emergent yet unformed discourse that is on the verge of application within local government. Smart Heritage presents opportunities to converge historical narratives with the automated and autonomous capabilities of smart technology. However, due to its novelty, the local government sector has no guidance on delivering Smart Heritage within strategies and operations. Therefore, this thesis comprehensively explores and defines the Smart Heritage discourse and addresses Smart Heritage's delivery within local government strategies and operations.</b></p> <p>The original contributions to knowledge in this thesis are the first thorough definition of Smart Heritage in academic literature and the production of Smart Heritage Principles, which direct the delivery of Smart Heritage within local government. This thesis firstly defines Smart Heritage through an investigation into the nascent patchwork of academic literature at the intersection of the smart city and heritage disciplines. This definition establishes the discursive framework for the subsequent inquiry into how to deliver Smart Heritage in local government organisations. In this inquiry, the researcher conducts three case studies on local governments in Australia: Broken Hill City Council, the City of Melbourne, and the City of Newcastle. In each case study, the researcher analyses strategic smart city and heritage documents and then interviews their smart city and heritage advisors regarding strategic and operational convergences between the disciplines. The researcher then synthesises the resulting data into cross-case key considerations that contextualise a base understanding of how local governments deliver Smart Heritage. Using this understanding, the researcher conducts a second round of interviews and synthesis that, in turn, produces the refined Smart Heritage Principles. The researcher validates the principles’ relevancy and applicability through an additional case study with Wellington City Council in New Zealand.</p> <p>The research finds that Smart Heritage in the academic literature is nascent yet organically forming around a shared discourse between the smart city and heritage disciplines. As a result, there are numerous understandings of Smart Heritage. Nevertheless, these understandings agree that Smart Heritage convergences historical contextual narratives with automatic and autonomous technologies and advances from the passive Digital Heritage discourse. The case studies find that there is a foundation for Smart Heritage within local government through strategic documents that share similar focuses and advisors who seek multi-disciplinary convergences. However, the disciplines’ overlapping is not explicitly recognised in strategic documents and operational models, leading to inadequate financial and staff resourcing of Smart Heritage and inefficient cross-disciplinary initiatives in local government. The research identifies four thematic key considerations that address delivering Smart Heritage within local government; recognition, delivery, resourcing, and innovation; and proposes four Smart Heritage Principles for local governments to follow in order to deliver the discourse. The researcher presents the principles in an industry-ready document at the end of the thesis.</p> <p>The implications of this research are the increased visibility of Smart Heritage as an academic discourse and support for the delivery of Smart Heritage within local government strategies and operations. Smart Heritage becomes more visible as this research solidifies then illuminates a discursive pathway that researchers can engage with. Importantly, this research presents evidence that Smart Heritage is extant within academic literature and local governments, supporting its position as a constructive academic and practical discourse. The Smart Heritage Principles support the delivery of Smart Heritage within local government strategies and operations through the applied guidance they offer the organisations. As the industry-ready document is the first publication with this focus, the influence on the delivery of Smart Heritage is significant. The researcher aspires to share the Smart Heritage Principles document beyond this research context through its distribution to other councils globally.</p>

scholarly journals The Law Enforcement Factors in Waste Management to Achieve Environmental Sustainability and Community Welfare

2021 ◽  
Vol 4 (1) ◽  
pp. 15
Author(s):  
Suwari Akhmaddhian ◽  
Ria Virigianti ◽  
Erga Yuhandra
Keyword(s):  
Local Government ◽  
Waste Management ◽  
Environmental Sustainability ◽  
Government Policies ◽  
Primary Data ◽  
Environmental Damage ◽  
Government Officials ◽  
Program Innovation ◽  
Waste Bank

Environmental issues are interesting subjects that are related to the earth’s sustainability. While Garbage is basically an obstacle, it also has the potential to prevent environmental damage and increase the community's economy if it is well managed. This research aims to analyze local government policies in waste management based on the value of ecological justice to achieve natural preservation. The research method used is qualitative with primary data from interviews and observations supported by laws and regulations related to waste management. The research was conducted in Kuningan Regency and Ciamis Regency. The results showed that the Ciamis local government policy in waste management was equipped with local regulations, government officials, infrastructure, community participation, and program innovation, namely waste sorting, waste bank, maggot, and garbage alms. The conclusion is that local government policies, especially in Kuningan, still need improvement related to optimizing the role of the local government in institutional and funding of waste management and increasing public education regarding waste management. Good waste management can create environmental sustainability and community welfare.

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