1. “Promoting Community Sustainability:Linking Research and Action”
Presented by:
And
Dr.Beth Savan, Director, Environmental Studies Program, Innis College, University of Toronto
Dr.David Bell, Director,
York Centre for Applied Sustainability, York University

2. a Community University Research Alliance (CURA)
Supported by:
Social Sciences and Humanities
Research Council of Canada
Promoting Community Sustainability: Linking Research and Action

3. What is a CURA?
A new funding program from the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council (SSHRC)
22 Community University Research Alliance pilot projects funded in 2000 across Canada for 3 years (many others funded in 2001)
including our project, Promoting Community Sustainability: Linking Research and Action
Primary goal for all CURA projects
to link community groups and universities, combining forces to tackle issues of common concern
Based on the Netherlands “Science Shops” model
ongoing for 30 years
currently fifty “science shops” operating across all thirteen Dutch universities
have amassed a wealth of experience upon which the Canadian program is partly based
in which community-based organizations bring problems or needs to teams of faculty and students, who act like consultants
the difference in our program is that the community groups are equal and on-going partners
a Community-University Research Alliance Promoting Community Sustainability: Linking Research and Action

4. What is a CURA? based on the European “Science Shops” model
Primary goals for all CURA projects:
formally recognize role of community groups in undertaking research
recognize value of action-oriented research
encourage university outreach to the community
form partnerships for research and action
Based on the Netherlands “Science Shops” model
ongoing for 30 years
currently fifty “science shops” operating across all thirteen Dutch universities
have amassed a wealth of experience upon which the Canadian program is partly based
in which community-based organizations bring problems or needs to teams of faculty and students, who act like consultants
the difference in our program is that the community groups are equal and on-going partners
a Community-University Research Alliance Promoting Community Sustainability: Linking Research and Action

5. What is Sustainability?
Brundtland definition
Five broad requirements:
Integration of conservation and development
Satisfaction of basic human needs
Achievement of equity and social justice
Provision for social self-determination and cultural diversity
Maintenance of ecological integrity
Sustainable development interchangeable term with sustainability.
The Brundtland Commission Report, Our Common Future, first popularized the concept of sustainable development as “development which meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs”.
SD proposes a new paradigm of decision making for all sectors of society based on a better appreciation of the complex interconnections between economic, social and environmental issues, and the impact of today’s decisions on future generations.
It seeks to develop strategies and tools to respond to five broad requirements:
Community sustainability is a state in which local government, individuals and organizations in all sectors have made sustainability a core value for their decisions and actions, making choices that simultaneously enhance or maintain the well-being of both people and the ecosystem, without placing unbearable burdens – environmental, economic or social – on current or future generations.
Sustainability as a central principle for Toronto’s new Strategic Plan
a Community-University Research Alliance Promoting Community Sustainability: Linking Research and Action

6. SUSTAINABLE TORONTO Major Objectives
Engage all sectors
Increase collaboration
Build capacity
Enhance education
Aid informed decision-makers
Develop a network
Based on our Mission and Vision, and the project goals of SUSTAINABLE TORONTO, the following major objectives are identified:
Engage all sectors of the community in discussion of sustainability issues and increase collaboration in sustainability efforts.
Build the capacity of ST participants and community members to be more knowledgeable, confident, effective and collaborative in their endeavours toward sustainability goals.
Enhance education, curricula and student employability in fields related to sustainability.
Provide information and tools to aid informed decision-makers in all sectors as they progress toward a sustainable society.
Contribute to the development of a network of community sustainability initiatives in other jurisdictions.
a Community-University Research Alliance Promoting Community Sustainability: Linking Research and Action

7. Our Founding Partners
Environmental Studies Program, University of Toronto
York Centre for Applied Sustainability, York University
City of Toronto
Canadian Institute for Environmental Law and Policy
Toronto Environmental Alliance
Health Promotion and Environmental Protection Office -Toronto Public Health
Learning for a Sustainable Future
FoodShare
Citizens’ Environment Watch
Map Reflections
Sustainability Network
a Community-University Research Alliance Promoting Community Sustainability: Linking Research and Action

8. The Projects ... Community Right to Know Seeds of Our City
Monitoring for Sustainability
Community Right to Know
Promoting Awareness of the Links between Health and Environment
Professional Development for Sustainable Learning
Building Management Capacity in the ENGO Sector
Understanding Shifts in Canadian Environmental Governance
Building Effective Leadership
Tool Kit for Sustainable Governance
Understanding and Facilitating Community-Based Research in Canada
FoodShare - linking cultural diversity with biodiversity at community garden sites in Toronto, documenting the food they grow, how they use it, and why
CEW & MR - water quality data collected by CEW through community volunteers is shared and interpretted by MR through their GIS capabilities
CIELAP - to provide a State of the Environment in Ontario report containing scientific and policy information
HProm&EPO-TPH - increase public awareness of how the natural and built environment might adversely affect human health
LSF - Professional Development Institutes bringing together teachers, students, local business, community and environmental groups to develop understanding of sustainability
Sust. Network - increasing the management capacity of ENGOs by creating resource materials for distribution across the province
Doug MacDonald - working with TEA in a two-way flow of research and policy analysis, exploring how environmental non-profits are to function as effectively as possible in today’s devolving environmental regulatory system
TEA - through a series of training workshops, this project will build the capacity of community environmental leaders
UofT, York, City - host a series of workshops leading to an international conference with the specific objective of creating a set of tools for the adoption of sustainability in governance
Beth Savan - investigating impediments and incentives affecting Canadian community-based research (CBR), and their root cause
a Community-University Research Alliance Promoting Community Sustainability: Linking Research and Action

9. Our Model Research and action projects designed
Graduate and undergraduate students from York University and U of T hired
Academic Advisor from host university will assist research
Community group provides real-world application
Collaboration encouraged to help forge new alliances
Communications and outreach
New partners for future collaborations
A series of research and action projects are collaboratively designed and carried out by community groups and academic advisors.
Each project hires a graduate student and at least one undergraduate student to provide research assistance.
The Academic Advisor at the host University will assist the graduate student and the community group with their research project. The community group will provide the students with useful experience and a real-world application for academic research.
Collaboration among projects is nurtured and encouraged to help forge new alliances.
Extensive communications and outreach include:
workshops among Partners and with the larger community
collaborative research papers
presentations
New partners for future collaborations.
a Community-University Research Alliance Promoting Community Sustainability: Linking Research and Action

10. What the Academic Community Brings to the Community Groups
New contacts
New funding and publishing opportunities
New openness
New skills and rigour
Student resources
If time permits
a Community-University Research Alliance Promoting Community Sustainability: Linking Research and Action

11. What the Community Groups Bring to the Academic Community
A sense of place
Interesting research agenda
New skills
communication
Concrete environmental results
Opportunities for faculty and students to work in communities
If time permits
a Community-University Research Alliance Promoting Community Sustainability: Linking Research and Action

12. Early Outcomes new course and curriculum innovations
field work in community water monitoring for high school students links with GIS-based tool
Work Study
Graduate Research Assistants
Professional Experience Course
involved 70 students in the first half of the project
Descriptions
new course and curriculum innovations – paper submitted for Rio + 10
CEW/Map Reflections project
Website for Toronto Public Health collection of public health literature
Sustainability Network directed the research and publication of Ethno-cultural Directory which is now available on-line and in hard copy. It reasons that addressing the challenges of sustainability issues in Ontario calls for joint and cooperative efforts by the province’s environmental groups and ethno-cultural communities.
CIELAP is assessing the state of surface and ground water quality, demonstrating the decline in detection of contaminants and associated danger to public health, and proposing an optimal framework for sustainable surface and ground water management
More Early Outcomes
new research program on Understanding and Facilitating Community-Based Research
ten 2-day regional workshops, ‘Professional Institutes’, to facilitate community-led decision-making to find solutions to local sustainability issues
redesigned website for Toronto Public Health pulls together and analyses all existing publications
directory of ethno-cultural organizations and the environment published
CIELAP’s Community Right to Know study
a Community-University Research Alliance Promoting Community Sustainability: Linking Research and Action

13. Focus on:
Project 7 Understanding Shifts in Canadian Environmental Governance Dr. Douglas MacDonald, Environmental Studies Program, U of T  
Project 8 Building Effective Leadership Keith Stewart Toronto Environmental Alliance (TEA) 
Project 7: The relaxation of law-based regulatory capacity has significantly weakened levels of environmental protection. This loss of government capacity has been more than compensated for by new pressures on producers, arising from both economic interests and changing consumer and corporate values. Hence, we function now in a new environmental policy dynamic which we must understand. To this end, this project (led by Dr. Douglas MacDonald at Innis College, assisted by Dr. Keith Stewart from the Toronto Environmental Alliance) is examining the case study of Canadian climate change policy (which is based almost entirely upon voluntarism) in order to: (1) allow NGOs like TEA to better function in this new dynamic; and, (2) to advance recommendations for improving the effectiveness of the new world of environmental governance. To date, research has involved the collection and analysis of primary and secondary literature on the national policy process.
Project 8: TEA
In the second year of this project, TEA is developing two annotated bibliographies. The first is on urban environmental governance best practices and the second on public participation, consultation and collaboration best practices. The GRA is conducting a case study of one TEA's campaigns, selecting Pesticides. The study will include examination of what led to the decision by Toronto City Council to eliminate pesticides on public green space, how the public was involved in the campaign, an analysis of how to build public capacity on the pesticide issue, and an examination of urban environmental best practices to determine other directions to expand the campaign. The GRA will also develop a list of local experts and their areas of expertise for non-profit groups to draw on for information, to recruit to speak to the media or make deputations to governments.
a Community-University Research Alliance Promoting Community Sustainability: Linking Research and Action

14. Contact Information
Barbara Schaefer
Project Coordinator tel
Sustainable Toronto fax
Beth Savan
Director tel
Environmental Studies Program fax
Innis College, U of T
David Bell
Director, x77095
York Centre for Applied Sustainability, fax
York University
Alison Collins
Project Manager, tel
You may simply go to the Google.com search engine and enter Sustainable Toronto to find us.
a Community-University Research Alliance Promoting Community Sustainability: Linking Research and Action