Richard Smardon

Using visual assessment as a foundation for greenway planning in the St. Lawrence River Valley

Abstract The growth of the ‘greenway’ as a fundamental planning concept has provided guidance for many communities locally and around the world. In the St. Lawrence River Valley, the idea is providing a common physical and cultural reference for the management of landscapes in communities along a 100 mile international corridor. Over the past 10 years, the College of Environmental Science and Forestry of the State University of New York has worked with the St. Lawrence-Eastern Ontario Commission to examine the unique visual and scenic resources of the region as the foundation for establishing a greenway tracing the St. Lawrence River. Although the idea of a greenway in the St. Lawrence River Valley is not new or unusual, the inventory and assessment of visual or scenic linear resources as a foundation is a departure from typical practice, and an experiment in defensible and rational planning. As a major summer tourism destination, the region is well aware of the critical value of its scenic resources. In our effort to identify and assess various vital resources for planning, we found an indicator in the visual nature of the landscape—both as a resource in and of itself, and as a reflection of the underlying values held by local communities for natural and cultural resources. This paper describes, as a case study, the process used to identify and assess visual and scenic resources in the region, and the use of the resulting database to initiate delineation of the proposed greenway. A discussion of the rationale and significance of the method is presented, including comments on the direction and progress in the region today.

Rural perspectives of climate change: A study from Saurastra and Kutch of Western India

This research reports on rural people’s beliefs and understandings of climate change in the Saurastra/Kutch region of Western India. Results suggest that although most rural respondents have not heard about the scientific concept of climate change, they have detected changes in the climate. They appear to hold divergent understandings about climate change and have different priorities for causes and solutions. Many respondents appear to base their understandings of climate change upon a mix of ideas drawn from various sources and rely on different kinds of reasoning in relation to both causes of and solutions to climate change to those used by scientists. Environmental conditions were found to influence individuals’ understanding of climate change, while demographic factors were not. The results suggest a need to learn more about people’s conceptual models and understandings of climate change and a need to include local climate research in communication efforts.

RESEARCH ARTICLE: The Changing Dynamics of Local Institutions in Fishing Communities in Mozambique: Responses to Policy—Public Participation and Decision Making

This study analyzes local institutions plus the practice of participatory decision making for promoting community development in fishing communities in Mozambique. This study covers the evolution of institutions and its impact at the household and community level particularly after the structural adjustments of 1987, which promoted new institutions at central and local levels, as well as the practice of participatory decision making. We combined participatory appraisals, focus-group discussions, and participant observation methods with quantitative data from structured surveys of representative samples for data gathered. Assisted by mode-of-regulation model and community power theory, our results demonstrated that since the policy shift in 1990, and particularly after 1994 (when public participation and decision making were introduced), central and local institutions were created, with some communities showing better results than others. By working together and depending on each other as social support networks, as well as by working with the government, people within fishing communities are generating secondary benefits by jointly building social infrastructure and community consensus to better cope with the impacts of adverse social and economic stresses that often occur in coastal regions of Mozambique. Specific stakeholder perspectives are accessed and analyzed for four time periods from 1987 to 2006.

ECOSYSTEM RESTORATION: EVALUATING LOCAL KNOWLEDGE AND MANAGEMENT SYSTEMS OF FISHERMEN IN FOSU LAGOON, GHANA

This article evaluates fishermens knowledge about the value of mangrove to fish stock and discusses possible management practices to help restore fish stock within the Fosu Lagoon, Ghana. The lagoon was recently added to the list of water bodies with dead zones, raising concern for the people who depend on it for both sustenance and livelihood. The methodology includes in-depth interviews and surveys. Feedback was collected from 120 fishermen representing the different communities that fish the lagoon. Findings did include that fishermen indicated they have some knowledge about mangroves in general and specifically their value to fishing. However, they lack knowledge about the scientific information to manage these mangroves properly to derive the complete benefits that mangroves provide. With its importance to the livelihood of the fishermen and the traditional heritage of the Cape Coast (Ghana) community as a whole, Fosu Lagoon should be the object of more in-depth studies to help restore the fishery resources. This article provides baseline information for developing educational programs to educate the people about the economic, ecological value, and functions of mangroves. The report analyzes one of the obstacles—depletion of mangroves—leading to decline in fish resources in the lagoon. Based on the knowledge of the fishermen, the article provides some recommendations for better management of the lagoon to help reverse fish decline. This work is original, as no such analysis has been carried out before for this region.

Developing a national framework for internal/external review of undergraduate environmental studies/environmental science programmes

Since the National Association of Environmental Professionals (NAEP) struggled with academic certification – and with the development of academic programmes of excellence – there has been recent activity by the Council of Environmental Deans and Directors (CEDD) on curriculum design and by the IEA sponsored ‘Daytona Roundtable’ on transdisciplinary programme recognition. It is the author’s position that we need a model process for self-study and external review that can be utilised by environmental studies programmes across the country and possibly internationally. This same process could be ‘blessed’ by academic and/or professional organisations, specifically in terms of outcomes and professional skill development objectives. Thus, instead of a rigid certification process, we could have a framework, which meets the needs of professional as well as academic programme external review. Recent experiences with a review of a number of environmental studies/environmental science programmes will be discussed as examples for this process.

Janette Hartz-Karp and Dora Marinova. Methods for Sustainability Research

When I first saw this book my interest was piqued because I had taught a graduate environmental studies research methods course and an undergraduate community sustainabilityplanning course. Methods for Sustainability Research is one of the few books that cover sustainability research methodology. The only other recent comparable book is Methods of Sustainability Research in the Social Sciences (Fahy and Rau 2016) edited by Frances Fahey and Henrike Rau. Methods for Sustainability Research is really a positivist sampling of applied research methods and theory Bthat are outcome focused and contribute toward efforts that foster social learning, sustainable development and adaptive learning^ (Hartz-Karp and Marinova 2017 p. 4) (Fig. 1). The book has some 20 contributing authors of 19 chapters divided into four sections:

Worldwatch Institute: can a city be sustainable?

The latest book from the Worldwatch Institute, as part of their State of the World reports, is entitled Can a City Be Sustainable? This is the 33rd volume in their series and is unique in its focus on a geographic city sustainability focus as opposed to looking at sustainability resource issues worldwide. In the words of Eduardo da Costa, mayor of Rio de Janeiro, this book B deeply understands these fundamental facts and assembles an inspiring collection of analyses, stories, examples, and policy options into a vision of a sustainable future that is within our grasp...^ (The Worldwatch Institute, 2016, p. xxii). This is definitely a more positive book than some of the past State of the World books. The book is divided into three parts: (1) “Cities as human constructs;” (2) BThe urban climate change;^ and (3) BPolitics, equity and livability.^ There are numerous international case studies in parts 2 and 3. In part 1, BCities as human constructs^ includes five contributed chapters that set the stage with urban development material history, cites as systems, and role of energy in urban development. Part 2, BThe urban climate change^ includes 10 chapters covering urban issues such as green house gas (GHG) emissions, urban sprawl, building GHG footprint, energy efficiency, renewable energy, transportation, solid waste reduction, and climate change. There are case study/examples from Shanghai, China; Freiburg, Germany; Melbourne, Australia; Vancouver, Canada; Singapore; Ahmedabad and Pune India; and Barcelona, Spain. This section is a very comprehensive view of city growth and use of energy. There are other books that cover this issue such as Newman et al. (2009) and Fitzgerald (2010), but this section of the book is very practical in terms of what can be done to make cities more energy efficient and reduction of green house gas emissions as well as good urban planning practice (Lentman 1999). Part 3, BPolitics, Equity and livability^ has four chapters on Bremunicipalization^ (governance), role of biodiversity, diversity, social cohesion, and social justice. Case study/examples are from Portland, Oregon; Jerusalem, Israel; and Durban, South Africa. This is somewhat unique in its social justice emphasis, which has been mentioned in few other books (Fitzgerald 2010), which is long overdue. The chapter on remunicipalization is unique in its emphasis on urban redevelopment and governance. This author would have liked the chapter on urban biodiversity be put within the beginning section of the book near urban systems as this receives much more emphasis with European agenda 21 sustainability planning (Afsen-Norodom et al. 2004; Smardon 2008). There is little emphasis on economic development throughout much of the book, which is stressed on other books by Fitzgerald (2010) and Portney (2013). Also, there is little emphasis on metrics to document sustainability progress. See Portney (2013) and Smardon (2015, 2008) for examples of sustainability metrics and scorecards for sustainability progress. The positive examples of sustainability progress, with engaging international case studies, are shared by very few other books (Birch & Wachter 2008). So, this book would make an excellent supplemental reference/second text for a course on urban sustainability as well as reference book for all others interested in making cities more sustainable. * Richard Smardon rsmardon@esf.edu