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List of contents
Foreword by Margot Wallstrom * Preface * Introduction * Sweden: Problems and Prospects at the Leading Edge of LA21 Implementation * Finland: In Search of New Implementation Patterns * Denmark: The Participatory and Consensus-seeking Approach of the Danish LA21 * Norway: LA21 as a Means of Interpreting and Achieving Sustainable Production and Consumption * The United Kingdom: Mainstreaming, Mutating or Expiring? * Ireland: Starting Late: Building Institutional Capacity on the Reform of Sub-national Governance? * The Netherlands: Probing the Essence of LA21 as a Value-added Approach to Sustainable Development and Local Democracy * France: LA21: A New Tool for Sustainable Policies? * Austria: From Eco-social Market Economy to LA21 * Italy: Converging Pathways between Central and Local Levels of Government? * Spain: La21: A Question of Institutional Leadership? * Conclusions and Perspectives * Index
About the author
William M Lafferty
Summary
Clear objectives were set at the Earth Summit in Rio de Janeiro in 1992 for local authorities to prepare, implement and monitor a Local Agenda 21 (LA21): a strategic programme, plan or policy for achieving sustainable development locally, derived through consultation with citizens and relevant local stakeholders.
Sustainable Communities in Europe presents detailed research into the participation and involvement of local communities in 11 European countries. Overviews of implementation in each country are accompanied by comparative analysis of positive and negative changes to date. Useful examples of best practice case studies are provided, and crucial barriers to achieving sustainability are highlighted.
This most broad-based and systematic study of LA21 ever produced offers important lessons and suggestions for the future which will be invaluable in preparations for the forthcoming Earth Summit 2002 to be held in Johannesburg.
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'Invaluable as a source of collected case studies.'
Cameron Sustainable Development Solutions
'A useful and interesting book for all those that are involved in Local Agenda 21 processes.'
European Circular
'This book is a good read. It covers the ground admirably. The authors are all experienced and writing to a plan of analysis.'
Environmental Science & Policy
