Author(s)

E. McDowell & E. Mooney

Abstract

Reconnecting communities: pathways to a sustainable future E. McDowell and Elizabeth Mooney School of Social Sciences, Glasgow Caledonian University, Scotland, UK. Abstract This article considers how the complex concept of sustainable development is operationalised at a local level, and explores the extent to which local citizens have been successful in their attempts to pursue sustainable campaigns or initiatives. Related issues of'social inclusion', 'equity' and 'quality of life' are central to this debate as previous studies alert us to the fact that when it comes to analysing distributional consequences both social and spatial, lower income groups are more prone to environmental problems, unwanted development, and a lack of consultation in the overall decision making process. A case study of a unique rural initiative developed on the Hebridean Island of Islay in Scotland, is incorporated into this study which highlights co-ordinated plans for every aspect of the island to

Keywords