Rural Environmental Planning for Sustainable Communities offers an explanation of the concept of Rural Environmental Planning (REP) along with case studies that show how to apply REP to specific issues such as preserving agricultural lands, planning river and lake basins, and preserving historical sites.

In a neo-liberal era where society in the Developed World is reliant on mass-produced cheap foods, and living standards are based on high consumption of non-renewable energy and materials, this book investigates the growing significance of sustainable systems in rural areas. Drawing on a wide range of topical case studies, primarily in the UK, it provides an in-depth analysis of the progress made towards sustainability within rural systems, focusing specifically upon sustainable agriculture and sustainable rural communities. The authors provide an overview of the various systems of sustainability currently being applied in the Developed World. They highlight key environmental, economic and social issues, including post-productivism, 'alternative' food networks, organic farming, GM foods, conservation, rural development programmes, sustainable tourism, local training schemes and community participation. The various studies provide important lessons in the ongoing search for greater sustainability and suggest positive directions for future policy practice.

This book provides an overview of interdisciplinary approaches that have applied social science to research focused on issues around food, agriculture and natural resource management. The book demonstrates that those who work in rural sociology either as researchers or practitioners apply community development and participatory techniques to socio-environmental interaction. The book discusses how the evolving concept of interconnected social and ecological systems (SES) emerged, recognizing the inherent complexity, adaptive nature, and resilience of such systems. This book engages with contemporary theory, as well as new cutting-edge transdisciplinary research evidenced in case studies from three continents.

The 8th International Conference on Sustainable Development and Planning is part of a series of biennial conferences on the topic of sustainable regional development which began in Greece in 2003. The papers included in these proceedings report on the latest advances from scientists specialising in the range of subjects included within sustainable development and planning. Planners, environmentalists, architects, engineers, policy makers and economists have to work together in order to ensure that planning and development can meet our present needs without compromising the ability of future generations. The use of modern technologies in planning gives us new potential to monitor and prevent environmental degradation. Problems related to development and planning, which affect both rural and urban areas, are present in all regions of the world and accelerated urbanisation has resulted in both the deterioration of the environment and quality of life. Urban development can also intensify problems faced by rural areas such as forests, mountain regions and coastal areas, which urgently require solutions in order to avoid irreversible damage. The papers in the book cover the following topics: City planning; Regional planning; Rural developments; Sustainability and the built environment; Sustainability indicators; Policies and planning; Environmental planning and management; Energy resources; Cultural heritage; Quality of life; Community planning and resilience; Sustainable solutions in emerging countries; Sustainable tourism; Learning from nature; Transportation Social and political issues and Community planning.

First published in 1998, this book provides a broad but in-depth description of the issues, concepts, methods of analysis, and empirical results related to the sustainable development of agriculture and rural communities. Specifically, it examines the relationships between sustainability and individual topics such as technology, information, population, gender, land use, community, and public policy. A unique aspect of this book is that the topics addressed have not previously been explored together in one publication. With sustainability as the common link, data and evidence are presented and then interpreted in light of individual perspective and experience, in the process advancing our knowledge of this important field. The book comprises of 12 chapters written by prominent authors who come from government and non-government organizations as well as from various academic institutions and disciplines. This book is ideal for a seminar course. It is particularly intended for students in production agriculture, rural sociology, economics and public policy, environmental sciences, geography and land use planning, and other social sciences. Its rich insights make it a useful source of information for policy makers. It can also be used as a reference by professional economists and other researchers interested in issues relating to sustainable agricultural and rural development. While the coverage of some topics is, by necessity, more technical, the book is compiled with a general audience in mind. Thus, it should be of interest to anyone concerned with agriculture, natural resources and rural issues, particularly as they relate to the future of agriculture and of rural communities.

1. Rural change and sustainability: key themes - Andrew Gilg, Stephen Essex and Richard Yarwood. 2. Fordism rampant: the model and reality, as applied to production, processing and distribution in the North American agro-food system - Michael Troughton. 3. Feedlot growth in Southern Alberta: a neo-fordist interpretation - Ian MacLachlan. 4. People and hogs: agricultural restructuring and the contested countryside in agro-Manitoba - Douglas Ramsey, John Everitt and Lyndenn Behm. 5. Global markets, local foods: the paradoxes of aquaculture - Joan Marshall. 6. Alternative or conventional? An examination of specialist livestock production systems in the Scottish-English borders - Brian Ilbery and Damian Maye. 7. Agritourism: selling traditions of local food production, family, and rural Americana to maintain family farming heritage - Deborah Che, Gregory Veeck, and Ann Veeck. 8. Re-imaging agriculture: making the case for farming at the agricultural show - Lewis Holloway. 9. Stewardship, 'proper' farming and environmental gain: contrasting experiences of agri-environmental schemes in Canada and the EU - Guy M. Robinson. 10. Stemming the urban tide: policy and attitudinal changes for saving the Canadian countryside - Hugh J Gayler. 11. Vulnerability and sustainability concerns for the U.S. High Plains - Lisa M. Butler Harrington, Kansas State University. 12. Environmental ghost towns - Chris Mayla. 13. Interpreting family farm change and the agricultural importance of rural communities: evidence from Ontario, Canada - John Smithers. 14. Engagement with the land: redemption of the rural residence Ffantasy? - Kirsten Valentine Cadieux. 15. Mammoth Cave National Park and rural economic development - Katie Algeo. 16. Assessing variation in rural America's housing stock: case studies from growing and declining areas - Holly R. Barcus. 17. The geography of housing needs of low income persons in rural Canada - David Bruce. 18. Social change in rural North Carolina - Owen J. Furuseth. 19. Finding the 'region' in rural regional governance - Ann K. Deakin. 20. Corporate-community relations in the tourism sector: a stakeholder perspective - Alison M Gill and Peter W Williams. 21. Resource town transition: debates after closure - Greg Halseth. 22. Narratives of community-based resource management in the American West - Randall K. Wilson. 23. Youth, partnerships and participation - Christine Corcoran. 24. Conclusion - John Smithers and Randall Wilson.