Determinant factors in the degree of implementation of Local Agenda 21 in the European Union

The concern for sustainable development reached its greatest form of expression in what is known as the Brundtland Report; however, it was the Rio de Janeiro Conference of 1992 that created the foundations, through agreements such as Agenda 21. Though the success of Agenda 21 depends fundamentally on central governments, local administrations can play a decisive role, which is why European cities have taken on a serious commitment to enforce it by way of the Aalborg Charter. This paper evaluates the advancements by European municipalities in implementing Local Agenda 21, by identifying their determinant factors. The results show that productive and organizational aspects are key factors, regardless of their origin. Likewise, it has been verified that the factors of promotion instigated by supramunicipal bodies of the public administration are extremely effective, whereas political factors are of little relevance. Copyright © 2007 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd and ERP Environment.

Toward Citizen-Led Planning for Climate Change Adaptation in Urban Ghana: Hints from Japanese ‘Machizukuri’ Activities

This chapter draws lessons from Japanese machizukuri activities, which represent one of the most dynamic opportunities for participatory climate change adaptation in Africa. This chapter adopts a literature-based exploratory and dialectical approach to examine community’s role in climate change adaptation. It highlights the challenges and recent consensus on citizens’ role in climate change adaptation. Within this context, the chapter discusses Japanese machizukuri activities as providing ‘the how’ of promoting and strengthening community participation in climate change adaptation in urban Ghana. Findings indicate an existing potential for participatory planning in climate change adaptation in urban Ghana. However, to confront climate change impacts, there is the need for greater collaborative planning through networking, exploiting social capital, and integrating intangible sociocultural factors into urban climate adaptation planning