This compendium of initiatives, a few of the many outstanding efforts around the country, is intended to address these questions. They demonstrate the diversity and breadth of approaches that communities are using to promote economic health, environmental quality, and social equity. Collectively they illustrate the varying dimensions of sustainability and the interrelatedness of community issues. They offer new perspectives that are participatory, long-term, and often driven by a common community vision. These 51 reviews, from each state and the District of Columbia, provide examples of solutions at work in communities around the country. Where the problems or issues are similar, often the approach is vastly different. Many, however, contain common elements such as comprehensive and participatory planning, visioning processes, integrative approaches, and collaborations among citizens, businesses, public agencies, and nonprofit organizations. The stories are rural and urban, local and regional, and encompass a variety of issues from job creation to community democracy. Project sponsors vary from nonprofits to businesses to local governments. Many of the initiatives have sustainable development as a stated goal, while others do not use the term explicitly.

"Ravi K. Srivastava, project officer." "PB2001-101312." "Available at: http://www.sustainable.org/casestudies/studiesindex.html." "June 1998." Microfiche.