Geographical Association

Furthering the learning and teaching of geography

Building Sustainable Communities - what does it mean?

Sustainable communities are places where people want to live and work, now and in the future. They meet the diverse needs of existing and future residents, are sensitive to their environment, and contribute to a high quality of life. They are safe and inclusive, well planned, built and run, and offer equality of opportunity and good services for all.

Sustainable communities are:

  • Active, inclusive and safe
  • Well run
  • Environmentally sensitive
  • Well designed and built
  • Well connected
  • Thriving
  • Well served
  • Fair for everyone

Sustainable communities embody the principles of sustainable development. They:

  • Balance and integrate the social, economic and environmental components of their community
  • Meet the needs of existing and future generations
  • Respect the needs of other communities in the wider region or internationally also to make their communities sustainable

Sustainable communities are diverse, reflecting their local circumstances. There is no standard template to fit them all.

Source: Department for Communities and Local Government

This page text, more details and a full reference can be found in the document 'What is a Sustainable Community?'.

How does our curriculum making in geography lead to understanding and challenge of this framework?

What skills are developed in our teaching and learning to enable young people to engage with their communities?

Go to the Skills page >>>

Homes & Communities Agency

This project was run in partnership with the Academy for Sustainable Communities which has since become the Skills and Knowledge team at the Homes and Communities Agency (HCA).

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1 Comment

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laura amoss

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17:47 - 18/01/11

i think this website is extremely good

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