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Putting community to use in environmental policy making: Emerging trends in Scotland and the UK
Author(s) -
Holstead Kirsty,
Taylor Aiken Gerald,
Eadson Will,
BraunholtzSpeight Tim
Publication year - 2018
Publication title -
geography compass
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.587
H-Index - 65
ISSN - 1749-8198
DOI - 10.1111/gec3.12381
Subject(s) - cognitive reframing , environmental justice , environmental governance , corporate governance , action (physics) , environmental planning , political science , psychological intervention , environmental policy , sociology , environmental resource management , environmental ethics , geography , business , psychology , economics , social psychology , physics , finance , quantum mechanics , psychiatry , law , philosophy
Community is frequently called upon in policy to meet environmental challenges. It is increasingly recognised that the success of these environmental interventions relies on community awareness and action. But what this emphasis on community does, and what the impacts are, are often neglected, or left uncritiqued. To explore this issue, we surveyed literature from the UK across four distinct environmental domains—energy, urban greenspace, water, and land—to chart what characterises the use of community in pursuit of environmental goals. We highlight the main conceptual commonalities across the domains by focusing on research that gives insight into the increased interest in communities in environmental policy. In summary, we posit that where community is used environmentally, it brings with it (a) a reframing of justice, (b) processes of ‘public making,’ and (c) a rescaling of governance.