BUILDING A SUSTAINABLE COMMUNITY…

Tourism & SustainabilityFacilitated by

Dr John Luffrum & Flo Bell, University of Cumbria & Paul Musgrave, Cumbria Drug & Alcohol Action Team

Sustainable Communities Agenda

Paul Musgrave

Cumbria Drug and Alcohol Action Team

What is a sustainable community?

A community which uses its resources to meet current needs while ensuring that

adequate resources are available for future generations. Such a community seeks

improved public health and better quality of life for all its residents by limiting waste,

preventing pollution, maximizing conservation and promoting efficiency, and developing

local resources to enhance the local economy.

Egan says:

• Sustainable communities meet the diverse needs of existing and future residents, their children and other users, contribute to a high quality of life and provide opportunity and choice. They achieve this in ways that make effective use of natural resources, enhance the environment, promote social cohesion and inclusion and strengthen economic prosperity."

Prescott said:

• 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

• What they are– A better understanding of the sustainable communities agenda

• Why they are important– A shared understanding ensuring clear and consistent

messages

• Our role– How we and our colleagues can contribute to its delivery

Community is…..

• An area that a significant number of people relate to• Where they live – and possibly work• Send their children to school• Access a range of local services• Everyday sporting and leisure activities• Feel ‘at home’• An urban neighbourhood; a rural town or village

Sustainability is….

• A viable business project• A viable service• A sustainable community project• Environmental sustainability = sustainable

development• ‘Capable of carrying on’ – in all senses

Sustainability is….

• Built Environment?• Natural Environment?• Business?• Health?• Fair and equitable?• Depends which angle you are coming from

Thinking about you local area

• Pick the 3 most important good points

• Write in the 3 most significant bad points

Sustainable communities offer people:

• A decent home that they can afford• A community in which they want to live and work• The chance to develop their skills and interests• Access to jobs and excellent services• The chance to get engaged in their community

and to make a difference

Egan Wheel

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

Where to focus?

• Danger of being compartmentalised

• Business links to crime; to health; to transport etc

• Workforce vulnerability to outside factors

• Influencing the agenda minimises risk

Why sustainable communities are important

• Right circumstances for growth• Cleaner, safer and greener• Tackle disadvantage• More responsive local services• Better quality of life• Encourage stability and cohesion• Local empowerment

Who creates sustainable communities?

• No such thing as sustainable community activity?

• LSPs – how inclusive is yours?• Elected Member development • Sustainable Communities and conflict resolution

A room full of Rumsfelds

• Today you cannot find all the answers

• But you may now know where to begin asking questions

• Knowing the unknowns is half the battle

Tourism Development and

Sustainable Communities

Dr John Luffrum

University of Cumbria

Tourism in Sustainable Communities

• Central to many Cumbrian Communities• Development of many more tourism “niches” has

provided opportunities for development in non-traditional tourism areas

• Many opportunities for small and micro businesses• Consequently many opportunities for positive and

negative impacts on communities

Development Goals

• Improved and sustainable Economy and Business Success

• Sustainable Use of Resources

• Integration with (and protection of) sustainable Community and

Social Life

• Enhanced Visitor Satisfaction (and enhanced sustainability)

Tourism Impacts on Communities

• Economic

• Environmental

• Socio-cultural/Community

Economic Impacts

• Employment and income– Creating jobs– Providing tax revenue– Generating income and the Multiplier effect

• Economic growth and living standard

Economic Impacts

• Opportunity costs– Leakage– High consumer and land prices– Over-dependency on tourism

Environmental Impacts

• Positive impacts– Preservation and conservation of environment– Enhancement of environment– Increasing environmental awareness

Environmental Impacts

• Negative impacts– Issues of carrying capacity– Environmental pollution– Ecological disruption– Impacts on geology and topography– Damage to archaeological and historic sites

Community Impacts

• Changes in social structure, behaviour, and roles

Community Impacts

• Culture with a price tag – changes to suit tourists• Conflict of land use• Segregation • Increase in Crime• Friction over shared usage• Additional demands on services and supporting

infrastructures• Antagonism

Community Impacts

• Lifestyles: Living condition, personal mobility (shopping, entertainment and dining away from home), changes in labour structure

• Culture and value: Preservation and/or degradation of culture; changes in moral standards

• Social facilities: Infrastructures, social services and transportation

Tourism Impacts on Communities

• There is no such thing as a free lunch– Need to manage the development of tourism to

• Maximise the beneficial impacts• Minimize the negative impacts• Consideration of possibilities to minimise decisions that have

unintended by-products• Ensure sustainability

The Importance of Community

Sustainable tourism development is dependent on

Communities providing:• Entry points• Services• Amenities• Attraction Complexes and • Increasingly, the community is the attraction itself –

responsible for the “sense of place” the tourist is seeking

The Importance of Community

The dependence on community for sustainable tourismmeans we have to address (among others):• Appetite for change• Environmental concerns• Fear of tourism (and its impacts on community)• Policies on public/private land/property developments

Sustainable Tourism in a Sustainable Community

• Consensus• Consultation• Information• Involvement• Partnership

SHARING YOUR LEARNING

Centre for Regional Economic Development

Rationale

• Key outcome:– “Enable key change agents to share information

gained through CIEP Fusion with colleagues both within and across organisations”

• Important to share learning to maximise benefits of Fusion programme throughout Cumbria

How to Share Learning

• Review information distributed at Fusion event

• Identify what would be useful to colleagues

• Consider the most effective methods of sharing learning

Methods of Sharing Learning

• Circulate information– Then hold a discussion session to consolidate learning

• Develop some short, focused sessions• Slot for sharing learning at team meetings

– Within own team / organisation– At partnership meetings

• Applying knowledge / skills to a current project and working through with your team

• Continue the learning

Over to you…

• Share your learning• Let Fusion know how you get on so we can all

share learning better by:– Sending examples of effective practice to

claire.mallinson@cumbriacc.gov.uk so they can be circulated in the quarterly CIEP Fusion Newsletter and on the web-site (www.ciep.org.uk)