Delivering Sustainable Communities: Learning, Research and Applications

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EAUC ANNUAL CONFERENCE, APRIL 2007
Delivering Sustainable Communities Learning,
Research and Applications the Role of
Universities and Colleges Professor Peter
Roberts, Chair of the Academy for Sustainable
Communities and Professor of Sustainable Spatial
Development University of Leeds
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INTRODUCTION

• Sustainable communities approach provides a way
  of relating the principles of sustainable
  development to places at various spatial
  levels, and at various stages of development new
  places, steadily evolving places, regenerating
  places.
• The application of these principles to places is
  important because it cuts across the sectoral
  elaboration and implementation of sustainable
  development.
• A sectoral approach alone cannot possibly answer
  the challenges of sustainable development this
  is because it generates fragmented, suboptimal
  actions.
• But we continue to emphasise sectoral, silo
  thinking this is evident in many aspects of
  public, private and voluntary sectors.
• Many academics rightly criticise others for
  thinking and working in silos, but many
  universities then do exactly the same -
  organisation, operation, learning and research.

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Sustainable Communities
Regenerating Places
Evolving Places
NewPlaces
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SUSTAINABLE COMMUNITIES THINKING

• Has its origins in theoretical and empirical
  evidence, dating back to late 19th Century.
• Early pioneers of planning (and other disciplines
  and professions, including biologists,
  architects, geographers, public health workers,
  sociologists and civil engineers) recognised the
  importance of integrated place-based thinking
  Ebenezer Howards social city approach and the
  classic Geddes valley section.
• But much subsequent elaboration of theory and
  practice has emphasised sectoral concerns, often
  because the complexities of reality appeared to
  be too challenging to politicians, professionals
  and other actors, including academics.
• However, sectoral actions have failed to deliver
  the managed transformation of communities for
  example, dealing with housing through
  comprehensive redevelopment and rehousing on
  peripheral estates has created major problems,
  whilst just building houses will not create
  communities.

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SUSTAINABLE COMMUNITIES APPROACH

• Tackles the placemaking deficit this reflects
  past failures to deal with all aspects of a
  community through an integrated approach - this
  is a challenge in the UK and the European Union.
• Also reflects the absence of sufficient and
  adequately skilled and experienced professionals
  and other partners involved in making and
  maintaining places this is a key challenge for
  higher education.
• A key element of the deficit is the problem of
  ensuring that the components of a sustainable
  community are delivered by a team of
  professionals working with other actors,
  including local residents.
• Local ownership is essential if communities are
  to be sustainable, and this implies engagement.
• The approach requires a change in the way in
  which students are taught, in supporting research
  and in the university community.

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SUSTAINABLE COMMUNITIES MODEL

• Attempts to deliver
• responsible economic development
• social inclusion and social justice
• responses to social segregation
• effective environmental management
• successful towns and cities
• integrated spatial development
• The model also seeks to promote effective
  governance, investment and accountability these
  are essential requirements in order to promote
  confidence and real involvement.
• The model can be considered through eight
  components plus the master component of
  placemaking.
• Wide range of disciplines and professions
  contribute to building the sustainable
  communities team.

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Key Components
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Sustainable communities occupations
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SUSTAINABLE COMMUNITIES COMPONENTS

• The eight plus one components represent both
  content and process they draw upon established
  theories of social, environmental, economic and
  spatial intervention and they provide a means of
  delivery through participation, partnership and
  governance.
• Each component reflects specific education and
  training needs, but many cross boundaries between
  individual disciplines and professions this
  implies the need to attend to both subject
  specific skills and knowledge and generic skills
  and knowledge.
• The sustainable communities components also
  provide relevant and appropriate areas for
  consideration at various spatial levels a
  community can be a community of interest at
  neighbourhood, village, town, city, regional or
  national level, but it can equally be a college
  or university campus.

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SKILLS AND KNOWLEDGE

• Reflecting established academic convention, the
  sustainable communities capability agenda
  incorporates the development of skills and
  knowledge both are essential in order to equip
  individuals with the capabilities required to
  engage in placemaking and to provide insights,
  methods and models that can influence action.
• In order to provide skills and knowledge the Egan
  Review proposed the creation of a new national
  agency this was eventually established as the
  Academy for Sustainable Communities (ASC).
• The ASC is the UK focal point for EU action on
  sustainable communities the Bristol Accord and
  Leipzig meeting mean that this is also EU policy.
• ASC works in partnership with a wide range of
  organisations and agencies to deliver skills and
  knowledge key partners are universities,
  colleges, professional organisations and funding
  bodies.

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GENERIC SKILLS

• Egan report identified a number of generic skills
  considered essential for all contributors to
  sustainable communities - this common skills set
  covers over 90 occupations.
• Generic skills include
• visioning and strategic thinking
• programme design and implementation
• project management and delivery
• financial management and appraisal
• leadership
• conflict resolution
• team and partnership working
• stakeholder management
• breakthrough thinking
• process and change management
• analysis, decision making, evaluation
• communications

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INTER-DISCIPLINARY AND INTER-PROFESSIONAL
LEARNING AND RESEARCH

• In order to promote skills and learning for
  sustainable communities, the ASC has developed
  and is developing a number of learning and
  research products, including
• generic skills undergraduate and postgraduate
  modules (which can be delivered as sub-module
  units within existing modular structures)
• foundation degree programme
• continuing professional development modules and
  programmes working with professional bodies and
  universities
• specific short courses and briefings
• community-based skills programmes
• exemplar projects and learning laboratories
• bespoke research related to best practice
• a joint ASC / ESRC research programme
• a programme for young people - Making Places
• The ASC has also developed a range of partnership
  agreements and commitments.

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DELIVERING SUSTAINABLE COMMUNITIES THE ROLE OF
UNIVERSITIES AND COLLEGES

• The ASC regards higher education as a major
  partner HE is the pivot point in provision
  it links the efforts made to stimulate interest
  in sustainable communities careers at secondary
  school level with the supply of professionals and
  informed citizens.
• Higher education can help to deliver sustainable
  communities through
• teaching and learning generic skills and
  understanding, team learning and action projects,
  CPD, special programmes
• research and knowledge projects on labour
  market and skills, generic research, best
  practice assessments, access to expert knowledge
• sustainable community campus social,
  environmental and economic action, sustainable
  communities management team, audits and reviews
• community outreach - HE can offer a wide range of
  facilities to local communities schools,
  city-wide, individual neighbourhoods, exemplars.
• The ASC cannot deliver the skills and knowledge
  needed to create and maintain sustainable
  communities alone we welcome your active
  support and participation in all aspects of our
  work.

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