View residents as experts in their community

Foster common experiences that express a sense of place

Create and support local policies, development, and economic strategies

Build self-reliant communities

Increase community participation and dialogue

Support and build community infrastructure

Advise, mentor, and build networks and trust in communities

Build partnerships with community members and with local government, businesses, and organizations active in the community

Collaborate with a broad range of partners (for example, housing)

Encourage residents to take ownership over their own community resources and identity

Provide experiences for participants to learn technical and interpersonal skills, which are important for collective organizing

Create public spaces that draw people together who would otherwise not be engaged in constructive social activities

Support activities and events that create a source of pride for residents and increase their sense of connection with their community

Increase quality of life in communities

Engage fellow allies in the community decision-making process

Provide an experience of getting large groups of people together to spur further collective action in communities

RECOMMENDED READING

Timothy Beatley & Kristy Manning, The ecology of place: Planning for environment, economy, and community, 1997

Beth Carruthers, Mapping the terrain of contemporary EcoART practice and collaboration, prepared for “Art in ecology—A think tank on arts and sustainability,” Vancouver, 2006

Nathan Cardinal & Emilie Adin, An urban Aboriginal life: The 2005 indicators report on the quality of life of Aboriginal people in the Greater Vancouver region, Centre for Native Policy and Research, 2005

Alison Darlow, Cultural policy and urban sustainability: Making a missing link?, Planning Practice and Research, 11(3),1996

Jon Hawkes, The fourth pillar of sustainability: Culture’s essential role in public planning, 2001

Hildegard Kurt, Aesthetics of Sustainability, in Heike Strelow & Vera David (Eds.), Aesthetics of ecology: Art in environmental design, theory and practice, 2004

John Matthews & David Herbert (Eds), Unifying geography: Common heritage, shared future?, 2004

Deborah Mills & Paul Brown, Art and wellbeing, Australia Council for the Arts, 2004

Diana Mitlan & David Satterthwaite, Cities and sustainable development: Background paper for Global Forum ’94

New Zealand Ministry for Culture and Heritage, Cultural well-being and local government, Report 1, 2006

Peter Newman & Jeffrey Kenworthy, Sustainability and cities: Overcoming automobile dependence, 1999

Scott O’Hara, Hands ON! Practices and projects supported by the Community Cultural Development Board, Australia Council for the Arts, 2002

Matthew Pike, Can do citizens, 2003

Luciano Pilotti & Marina Rinaldin, Culture & arts as knowledge resources towards sustainability for identity of nations and cognitive richness of human being, 2004

OECD, The well-being of nations: The role of human and social capital, 2001

Robert D. Putnam, Bowling alone: Collapse and revival of American community, 2000

Mark Roseland et al., Towards sustainable communities: Resources for citizens and their governments, 2005

Maureen Williams, Sustainable development and social sustainability, Department of Canadian Heritage, 2003

Become a member of the Creative City Network—help develop national and regional networking and partnerships, and a permanent forum for creative community development in Canada.

Celebrate successes, share expertise and experiences, learn from one another.