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Making meaningful commitments: Accounting for variation in cities’ investments of staff and fiscal resources to sustainability

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  • Christopher V Hawkins

    (University of Central Florida, USA)

  • Rachel M Krause

    (University of Kansas, USA)

  • Richard C Feiock

    (Florida State University, USA)

  • Cali Curley

    (Indiana University − Purdue University Indianapolis, USA)

Abstract

Environmental sustainability is one of the great challenges of the 21st century. A number of explanations have been advanced for why some local governments make strong commitments to sustainability while others do not. Most of the extant empirical research, however, has relied on models that employ only one or just a few of these explanations. As a result, empirical analyses do not encompass a comprehensive set of variables that account for alternative explanations. This study begins to fill this lacuna by specifying an empirical model that examines six explanations for local commitment towards sustainability: local sustainability priorities, regional governance, climate protection networks, interest group support, local fiscal capacity, and characteristics of the local governing institution. Moreover, we use the designation of human and financial resources specifically for sustainability to operationalise commitment. This is a more substantive measure than has been used in previous studies. We accomplish this by utilising data from the Integrated City Sustainability Database. Our results indicate that local priorities, participation in regional governance, and membership in climate protection networks influence the likelihood of cities’ devotion of resources to sustainability. We discuss the implications of these findings for research and practice.

Suggested Citation

  • Christopher V Hawkins & Rachel M Krause & Richard C Feiock & Cali Curley, 2016. "Making meaningful commitments: Accounting for variation in cities’ investments of staff and fiscal resources to sustainability," Urban Studies, Urban Studies Journal Limited, vol. 53(9), pages 1902-1924, July.
    • Handle: RePEc:sae:urbstu:v:53:y:2016:i:9:p:1902-1924
    DOI: 10.1177/0042098015580898
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Catalina Turcu, 2013. "Re-thinking sustainability indicators: local perspectives of urban sustainability," Journal of Environmental Planning and Management, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 56(5), pages 695-719, June.
    2. Maria Manta Conroy & Philip R Berke, 2004. "What Makes a Good Sustainable Development Plan? An Analysis of Factors That Influence Principles of Sustainable Development," Environment and Planning A, , vol. 36(8), pages 1381-1396, August.
    3. Volden, Craig & Ting, Michael M. & Carpenter, Daniel P., 2008. "A Formal Model of Learning and Policy Diffusion," American Political Science Review, Cambridge University Press, vol. 102(3), pages 319-332, August.
    4. Xuemei Bai, 2007. "Integrating Global Environmental Concerns into Urban Management: The Scale and Readiness Arguments," Journal of Industrial Ecology, Yale University, vol. 11(2), pages 15-29, April.
    5. Cynthia Rosenzweig & William Solecki & Stephen A. Hammer & Shagun Mehrotra, 2010. "Cities lead the way in climate–change action," Nature, Nature, vol. 467(7318), pages 909-911, October.
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    Cited by:

    1. George C. Homsy, 2018. "Unlikely pioneers: creative climate change policymaking in smaller U.S. cities," Journal of Environmental Studies and Sciences, Springer;Association of Environmental Studies and Sciences, vol. 8(2), pages 121-131, June.
    2. William L. Swann & Shelley McMullen & Dan Graeve & Serena Kim, 2019. "Community Resistance and Discretionary Strategies in Planning Sustainable Development: The Case of Colorado Cities," Urban Planning, Cogitatio Press, vol. 4(4), pages 98-110.

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