Among the many approaches being taken to sustainable development planning and policy, a basic dic... more Among the many approaches being taken to sustainable development planning and policy, a basic dichotomy exists. The dichotomy is the classic one recognized over a century ago by pragmatist philosopher William James—between the tough minded and the tender minded, or in this case, those who trust in more and better information to address sustainability challenges and those who rest on
This introductory chapter to the volume provides an overview of the history of community indicato... more This introductory chapter to the volume provides an overview of the history of community indicators, beginning with a grant provided by the Russell Sage Foundation in 1910 to the Charity Organization Society (of New York) to survey industrial conditions in Pittsburgh, and moving to present day. As a social movement, we present community indicators efforts as being grounded in challenges and innovations within the distinct but overlapping domains of public administration, social work and philanthropy, community development, sustainable communities and environmental justice, happiness and wellbeing studies, and data analytics. Each frames and pursues the task of crafting and disseminating indicators of community conditions in a different way, resulting in a richly diverse field of practice and theory, that the Community Indicators Consortium seeks to serve and promote. In so doing, the Community Indicators Consortium recognizes that uniting these diverse approaches in community indicators provides a forum in which to pursue common themes of work, including the need to amplify the voice of disadvantaged communities, to seriously explore the increasing use of information technology, to produce positive community change and to sustain these efforts over time. Each chapter in this volume is also summarized here.
Among the many approaches being taken to sustainable development planning and policy, a basic dic... more Among the many approaches being taken to sustainable development planning and policy, a basic dichotomy exists. The dichotomy is the classic one recognized over a century ago by pragmatist philosopher William James—between the tough minded and the tender minded, or in this case, those who trust in more and better information to address sustainability challenges and those who rest on
This introductory chapter to the volume provides an overview of the history of community indicato... more This introductory chapter to the volume provides an overview of the history of community indicators, beginning with a grant provided by the Russell Sage Foundation in 1910 to the Charity Organization Society (of New York) to survey industrial conditions in Pittsburgh, and moving to present day. As a social movement, we present community indicators efforts as being grounded in challenges and innovations within the distinct but overlapping domains of public administration, social work and philanthropy, community development, sustainable communities and environmental justice, happiness and wellbeing studies, and data analytics. Each frames and pursues the task of crafting and disseminating indicators of community conditions in a different way, resulting in a richly diverse field of practice and theory, that the Community Indicators Consortium seeks to serve and promote. In so doing, the Community Indicators Consortium recognizes that uniting these diverse approaches in community indicators provides a forum in which to pursue common themes of work, including the need to amplify the voice of disadvantaged communities, to seriously explore the increasing use of information technology, to produce positive community change and to sustain these efforts over time. Each chapter in this volume is also summarized here.
ABSTRACT We consider the prospect of a trans-Atlantic alliance for a social theory of critical pr... more ABSTRACT We consider the prospect of a trans-Atlantic alliance for a social theory of critical pragmatism, seeking the specific value that French critical pragmatism can offer American pragmatists, and vice versa. We proceed through a discussion of the ontological and methodological keys to French critical pragmatism: the architecture of justification, the treatment of conflict in public disputes, the dynamics of argumentation, and the play of acts defined analytically as ' test ' and ' compromise '. At each level, we compare this approach to Deweyan pragmatism.
Pragmatic Justifications for the Sustainable City: Acting in the Common Place offers a critical a... more Pragmatic Justifications for the Sustainable City: Acting in the Common Place offers a critical and philosophical approach to revaluating the way in which we think and talk about the "sustainable city" to ensure that we neither lose the thread of our urban history, nor the means to live well amidst diversity of all kinds. By building and rebuilding better habits of urban thinking, this book promotes the reconstruction of moral thinking, paving the way for a new urban sustainability model of justice.
Much research has examined the socio-spatial distribution of, and access to, urban greenspace; th... more Much research has examined the socio-spatial distribution of, and access to, urban greenspace; the challenges of supplying greenspace, especially in periods of dynamic urban change, remain poorly understood. Multiple factors shape urban greenspace provision, however understanding the role of leadership as a factor remains somewhat elusive. Addressing this critical knowledge gap, we employed a case study approach, using qualitative methods, to hear first-hand from the key stakeholders involved with municipal urban greenspace provision, to investigate how different types of leadership affected greenspace provision in Surrey, Canada – a dynamically changing mid-size city. Semi-structured interviews with 32 purposively selected participants reveal that here, both leadership and organizational culture influenced resources and decision-making supporting greenspace provision. Aligned political leadership and organizational leadership witnessed a significant increase in Surrey’s urban greenspaces – the converse occurred in a later administration. Findings provide insights into the governance of greenspace; especially how different types of leadership can play a pivotal role in effective greenspace provision.
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Papers by Meg Holden