COMMUNITY OF PRACTICE APPROACH TO DEVELOPING URBAN SUSTAINABILITY INDICATORS

2011 ◽  
Vol 13 (04) ◽  
pp. 591-617 ◽  
Author(s):  
AINHOA GONZALEZ ◽  
ALISON DONNELLY ◽  
MIKE JONES ◽  
JUDITH KLOSTERMANN ◽  
ANNEMARIE GROOT ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Communities Of Practice ◽  
Community Of Practice ◽  
Local Level ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Sustainability Indicators ◽  
Urban Context ◽  
Practice Approach ◽  
Context Specific ◽  
Urban Sustainability Indicators ◽  
Selection Of

In the urban context the quest to enhance economic growth and social well-being is challenged by the need to protect and manage natural resources. In order to promote sustainable urban planning, sustainability objectives are commonly embedded into planning policies, and the associated indicators used to evaluate planning interventions and monitor implementation of such objectives. The applicability of indicators is commonly tied in to their ability to address context-specific issues and monitor progress towards definite goals set at the local level. This paper presents the findings of a participative methodology applied in five European cities to develop a set of sustainability indicators with the aim of optimising their applicability for assessing planning alternatives affecting urban metabolism (i.e. the exchange of materials and energy within cities). The results indicate that engagement of researchers and practitioners through Communities of Practice (CoP) helped bridge the gap between science and practice, and facilitated the selection of consistent and meaningful indicators to be used as a tool for decision-making. However, the results also revealed that planning priorities can significantly shape the extent and scope of sustainability indicators, and that a CoP approach may not always be sufficient to guarantee continuity of collaboration.

Urban Health and Healthy Cities Today

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Evelyne de Leeuw ◽  
Jean Simos ◽  
Julien Forbat
Keyword(s):  
Urban Health ◽  
Local Governments ◽  
Smart Cities ◽  
Local Level ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Health Determinants ◽  
Healthy Cities ◽  
Urban Context ◽  
Global Networks ◽  
The City

The authors of this article purport that for current understanding of Healthy Cities it is useful to appreciate other global networks of local governments and communities. In a context where the local level is increasingly acknowledged as decisive in designing and implementing policies capable of tackling global threats such as climate change and their health-related aspects, understanding how thousands of cities across the world have decided to respond to those challenges appears essential. Starting with the concept of “healthy cities” in the 1980s, the trend toward promoting better living conditions in urban settings has rapidly grown to encompass today countless “theme cities” networks. Each network tends to focus on more or less specific issues related to well-being and quality of life. These various networks are thus not limited to more or less competing labels (Healthy Cities, Smart Cities, or Inclusive Cities, for instance), but entail significant differences in their approaches to the promotion of health in the urban context. The aim of this article is to systematically typify these “theme cities.” A typology of “theme cities” networks has several objectives. First, it describes the health aspects that are considered by the networks. Are they adopting a systemic perspective on all health determinants, such as Healthy Cities, or are they focusing on “hardware” determinants like Smart Cities? Second, it highlights the key characteristics of the networks. For instance, are they pushing for technological solutions to health problems, like Smart Cities, or are they aiming at strengthening communities in order to mitigate their detrimental effects, like Creative Cities? Third, the typology has the potential to be used as an analytical tool, for example, in the comparison of the results obtained by different types of networks in urban health issues. Finally, the typology offers a tool to enhance both transparency and participation in the policymaking process taking place when selecting and engaging in a network. Indeed, by clarifying the terms of the debate, decisions can be made more explicit and achieve a greater level of congruence with the overall objectives of the city. Indeed, Healthy Cities today need to make alliances with other theme networks, and this typology gives the keys to find which networks are the “natural best allies,” avoiding mutually harmful antagonisms. In that sense, the typology developed should be of interest to any actor involved in health promotion at the city level, whether in an existing “theme cities” policy process or as willing to participate in such a program, and to scholars interested in better understanding the main drivers of “theme cities” networks, a rapidly growing field of study.

scholarly journals Communities of practice as a methodology for grassroots innovation in sustainable adult education

2017 ◽  
Vol 23 (1) ◽  
pp. 23-39 ◽  
Author(s):  
Nives Ličen ◽  
Dušana Findeisen ◽  
Jasna Fakin Bajec
Keyword(s):  
Communities Of Practice ◽  
Transformative Learning ◽  
Community Of Practice ◽  
Local Community ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Local Behaviour ◽  
Connected Learning ◽  
Critical Awareness ◽  
Theory Of Practice ◽  
Grassroots Innovation

In this article, we present findings on the characteristics of community of practice appearing in sustainable education in reference to preserving natural and cultural heritage. Our research originated in the poststructuralist theory of practice and in concepts of social learning. Freire’s learning theory was the basis for establishing the thesis that critical awareness is necessary for sustainable innovation. The empirical section of our research is based on an ethnographical collection of data in three different environments. We analysed cases of connected learning and activities, based both in local community and participants’ needs. All three cases join learning with innovative practices that develop social and environmental well-being. Our results reveal that innovative practices develop in connection with transformative learning: the dialogical linking of scientific and local behaviour and the identity of participants.

Communities of Practice for Organizational Learning

2011 ◽  
pp. 74-76
Author(s):  
Andrew Wenn
Keyword(s):  
Organizational Learning ◽  
Communities Of Practice ◽  
Community Of Practice ◽  
Social Practice ◽  
Local Level ◽  
The Way

The term community of practice (CoP) arises out of the work of Lave and Wenger (1991) and Wenger (1998) and refers to the way groups of individuals interact and engage in “the sustained pursuit of a shared enterprise” (Wenger, 1998, p. 45). It is the activities of the members of these groups both individually and collectively, the construction of and practices at a local level that allows them “to meet the demands of the institution” (Wenger, 1998, p. 46) which they work for. For the CoP, learning occurs as a form of social practice.

An adapted version of a community of practice approach to evaluation owned by indigenous stakeholders

2002 ◽  
Vol 2 (2) ◽  
pp. 57-59 ◽  
Author(s):  
Janet McIntyre
Keyword(s):  
Public Housing ◽  
Community Of Practice ◽  
Housing Association ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Integrated Model ◽  
Citizenship Rights ◽  
Work In Progress ◽  
Practice Approach ◽  
Definition Of

Values are at the heart of the definition of well-being and are at the heart of all evaluation initiatives. Unless the initial definitions of evaluation are owned by the stakeholders’ groups (age, gender, ethnicity, culture, language etc.) and shared to develop a co-created sense of citizenship rights and responsibilities (McIntyre 2000; Romm 2001), then the process of evaluation may be compromised. This paper discusses work in progress where the author acts as a facilitator of indigenous facilitators who are in the process of developing an integrated model for governance that is defined and owned by an indigenous public housing association.

scholarly journals “Dolls or teddies?”

2014 ◽  
Vol 3 (2) ◽  
pp. 161-190 ◽  
Author(s):  
Lucy Jones
Keyword(s):  
Sexual Identity ◽  
Community Of Practice ◽  
Local Level ◽  
Local Communities ◽  
Direct Response ◽  
Gay Community ◽  
Central Focus ◽  
Sociocultural Linguistics ◽  
Practice Approach ◽  
Micro Level

The concept of ‘community’ often presents a problem for queer linguists. ‘The gay community’ is often viewed as an impossible site for research due to its imagined status, whilst local communities of gay people have been considered too heterogeneous and idiosyncratic to draw conclusions from. In this article, however, it is argued that both of these aspects of community can, and should, be a central focus of an investigation into language and sexual identity. Through the analysis of a conversation emerging from a lesbian group, using a sociocultural linguistics framework, it is argued here that the community of practice approach can play a crucial role in understanding how ideologies from ‘the gay community’ are used to construct a coherent sexual identity on a local level. The analysis reveals how the group engages in practices that enable them to construct micro-level personas in direct response to broader, ideological structures of heteronormativity.

The Challenge of Evaluating Virtual Communities of Practice: A Systematic Mapping Study

10.28945/4505 ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 15 ◽  
pp. 039-064
Author(s):  
Rogerio Ferreira da Silva ◽  
Itana Maria de Souza Gimenes ◽  
José Carlos Maldonado
Keyword(s):  
Communities Of Practice ◽  
Virtual Communities ◽  
Evaluation Process ◽  
Evaluation Methods ◽  
Systematic Mapping Study ◽  
Research Gaps ◽  
Systematic Mapping ◽  
Research Questions ◽  
Virtual Communities Of Practice ◽  
Selection Of

Aim/Purpose: This paper presents a study of Virtual Communities of Practice (VCoP) evaluation methods that aims to identify their current status and impact on knowledge sharing. The purposes of the study are as follows: (i) to identify trends and research gaps in VCoP evaluation methods; and, (ii) to assist researchers to position new research activities in this domain. Background: VCoP have become a popular knowledge sharing mechanism for both individuals and organizations. Their evaluation process is complex; however, it is recognized as an essential means to provide evidences of community effectiveness. Moreover, VCoP have introduced additional features to face to face Communities of Practice (CoP) that need to be taken into account in evaluation processes, such as geographical dispersion. The fact that VCoP rely on Information and Communication Technologies (ICT) to execute their practices as well as storing artifacts virtually makes more consistent data analysis possible; thus, the evaluation process can apply automatic data gathering and analysis. Methodology: A systematic mapping study, based on five research questions, was carried out in order to analyze existing studies about VCoP evaluation methods and frameworks. The mapping included searching five research databases resulting in the selection of 1,417 papers over which a formal analysis process was applied. This process led to the preliminary selection of 39 primary studies for complete reading. After reading them, we select 28 relevant primary studies from which data was extracted and synthesized to answer the proposed research questions. Contribution: The authors of the primary studies analyzed along this systematic mapping propose a set of methods and strategies for evaluating VCoP, such as frameworks, processes and maturity models. Our main contribution is the identification of some research gaps present in the body of studies, in order to stimulate projects that can improve VCoP evaluation methods and support its important role in social learning. Findings: The systematic mapping led to the conclusion that most of the approaches for VCoP evaluation do not consider the combination of data structured and unstructured metrics. In addition, there is a lack of guidelines to support community operators’ actions based on evaluation metrics.

scholarly journals Physical activity as a therapeutic strategy in mental health: an integrative review with implication for nursing care

2017 ◽  
Vol 21 (3) ◽  
Author(s):  
Bruno da Silva Lourenço ◽  
Maria Angélica de Almeida Peres ◽  
Isaura Setenta Porto ◽  
Rosane Mara Pontes de Oliveira ◽  
Virginia Faria Damásio Dutra
Keyword(s):  
Physical Activity ◽  
Mental Disorders ◽  
Nursing Care ◽  
Therapeutic Strategy ◽  
Scientific Evidence ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Integrative Review ◽  
Healthy Lifestyles ◽  
Practical Effect ◽  
Selection Of

Abstract This study is an integrative review with the aim to identify and describe the scientific evidence of the practical effect of physical activity in people with mental disorders. For the selection of articles, the databases CINAHL, MEDLINE, LILACS, SciELO, Cochrane and Scopus were used. The sample of this review consisted of eight articles. Their analysis resulted in the categories: obesity and metabolic syndrome, specialized nursing, sedentary and healthy lifestyles, support and social network, incentive to the practice of physical activity, and anxiety and physical activity. The benefits to physical health were partially elucidated by the sample. The implications for nursing care arise from the therapeutic efficacy of physical activity by people with mental disorders, adding individual and collective benefits that provide socialization and promotion of well-being.

scholarly journals Pollination Potential in Portugal: Leveraging an Ecosystem Service for Sustainable Agricultural Productivity

Land ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 10 (4) ◽  
pp. 431
Author(s):  
Caroline Wentling ◽  
Felipe S. Campos ◽  
João David ◽  
Pedro Cabral
Keyword(s):  
Land Management ◽  
Management Practices ◽  
Production Systems ◽  
Local Level ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Food Sources ◽  
Pollination Services ◽  
Pollinator Abundance ◽  
Study Results ◽  
Administrative Boundary

As urbanization and agriculture increase worldwide, habitats and food sources for wild pollinators are often fragmented or destroyed. As wild pollinators contribute both resilience and variety to agricultural fields, it is desirable to implement land management practices that preserve their well-being and ability to contribute to food production systems. This study evaluates continental Portugal for its change in suitability to host bee’s pollinator species (Apis mellifera) from 1990 to 2018. It uses the InVEST crop pollination modeling tool and CORINE Land Cover, as well as parameterization to produce pollinator abundance and supply maps. These are generalized to municipality boundaries to provide actionable insights to farmers and policymakers and strengthen land management practices. It finds that the potential for pollination services is growing, with averages of both pollinator abundance and supply indices improving by 8.76% across the continental territory in 28 years. The study results are validated using another pollination index derived from a study that is based on expert opinion and field sampling in a sub-region of Portugal. This method of aggregation of model results and comparison of the percent difference by administrative boundary has the potential to better inform both policymakers and farmers about the pollination potential on a local level, as well as inspire interventions for future productivity.

A university sport coach community of practice: Using a value creation framework to explore learning and social interactions

2017 ◽  
Vol 12 (3) ◽  
pp. 287-302 ◽  
Author(s):  
Rachael Bertram ◽  
Diane M Culver ◽  
Wade Gilbert
Keyword(s):  
Social Learning ◽  
Social Interactions ◽  
Community Of Practice ◽  
Value Creation ◽  
National Collegiate Athletic Association ◽  
A Value ◽  
Coaching Strategies ◽  
Division 1 ◽  
Practice Approach ◽  
University Setting

Coaches often identify social learning situations as the most valuable and influential to their learning. Thus, researchers have proposed implementing social learning initiatives, in particular, the community of practice approach. The purpose of the present study was to explore how an existing coach community of practice was created and sustained in a university setting, and to assess what value was created by participating in the community of practice. Participants included four National Collegiate Athletic Association Division 1 coaches from a university in the Southwestern United States. Data collection included an individual interview with each coach. Interviews were analysed using a value creation framework. The findings revealed that the coaches created value within all five cycles of Wenger et al.’s framework. In particular, the coaches learned a number of coaching strategies, some of which they were able to implement, and as a result, observe benefits in their coaching and athletes’ performance.

scholarly journals Domains and Measurements of Healthy Aging in Epidemiological Studies: A Review

2018 ◽  
Vol 59 (4) ◽  
pp. e294-e310 ◽  
Author(s):  
Wentian Lu ◽  
Hynek Pikhart ◽  
Amanda Sacker
Keyword(s):  
Healthy Aging ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Epidemiological Studies ◽  
Health Security ◽  
Health Indices ◽  
Security Questions ◽  
Design And Methods ◽  
State Examination ◽  
Final Selection ◽  
Selection Of

Abstract Purpose of the Study Few studies have recommended the essential domains of healthy aging and their relevant measurement to assess healthy aging comprehensively. This review is to fill the gap, by conducting a literature review of domains and measures of healthy aging in epidemiological studies. Design and Methods A literature search was conducted up to March 31, 2017, supplemented by a search of references in all relevant articles in English. We made a final selection of 50 studies across 23 countries or regions. Results Nineteen studies applied Rowe and Kahn’s three standards to assess healthy aging. Thirty-seven studies measured physical capabilities mainly by (instrumental) activities of daily living. Cognitive functions were included in 33 studies. Nineteen of them applied Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE). Twenty-six studies considered metabolic and physiological health, but they mainly asked the self-reported absence of diseases. Twenty-four studies assessed psychological well-being by employing diverse scales. Questions about participation in social activities were mainly asked to measure social well-being in 22 studies. Sixteen studies considered individuals’ general health status, which was mainly measured by self-rated health. Security questions were asked in five studies. Health behaviors were taken into account by three studies. Fifteen studies either applied SF-12/36 or developed health indices to assess healthy aging. Implications This review summarizes detailed scales or methods that have been used to assess healthy aging in previous epidemiological studies. It also discusses and recommends the essential domains of healthy aging, and the relevant instruments for further epidemiological research to use in the assessment of healthy aging.

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