‘Struggling with Sustainability’: Weak and Strong Interpretations of Sustainable Development within Local Authority Policy

D C Gibbs, J Longhurst and C Braithwaite
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D C Gibbs: Department of Geography, University of Hull, Hull HU6 7RX, England
J Longhurst: Department of Environmental Health and Science, University of the West of England, Frenchay Campus, Coldharbour Lane, Bristol BS16 1QY, England
C Braithwaite: West Lothian Council, County Buildings, Linlithgow, West Lothian EH49 7EZ, Scotland;

Environment and Planning A, 1998, vol. 30, issue 8, 1351-1365

Abstract: In recent years there has been a growing interest in sustainable development as a guiding principle to allow the integration of economic development and the environment within policy and strategy. At all levels of policymaking a major emphasis has been placed upon the local scale as the most appropriate for the delivery of such policies and initiatives, with a particular stress upon local authorities as the major delivery mechanism. Though it is often assumed that this integration is relatively unproblematic, this paper indicates that this is not the case. The paper draws upon research with urban local authorities in England and Wales, which reveals that there are varying interpretations of the environment within local authorities, reflecting environmental and economic development perspectives. In each case, however, these are effectively interpretations which tend towards the ‘weak’ end of a sustainability spectrum and it is suggested that such divergent interpretations of sustainability are hindering integrative activity and the potential for introducing ‘strong’ sustainability measures.

Date: 1998
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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:sae:envira:v:30:y:1998:i:8:p:1351-1365

DOI: 10.1068/a301351

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