Planning for Sustainability in Small Municipalities: The Influence of Interest Groups, Growth Patterns, and Institutional Characteristics
Abstract
How and why small municipalities promote sustainability through planning efforts is poorly understood. We analyzed ordinances in 451 Maine municipalities and tested theories of policy adoption using regression analysis.We found that smaller communities do adopt programs that contribute to sustainability relevant to their scale and context. In line with the political market theory, we found that municipalities with strong environmental interests, higher growth, and more formal governments were more likely to adopt these policies. Consideration of context and capacity in planning for sustainability will help planners better identify and benefit from collaboration, training, and outreach opportunities.
Publication Date
7-8-2016
Publisher
Sage
Journal Title
Journal of Planning Education and Research
Digital Object Identifier (DOI)
Document Type
Article
Recommended Citation
Levesque, V.R., Bell, K.P., & Calhoun, A.J.K. (2016) Planning for Sustainability in Small Municipalities: The Influence of Interest Groups, Growth Patterns, and Institutional Characteristics, Journal of Planning Education and Research, Volume 37, Issue 3, https://doi.org/10.1177/0739456X16655601