A Community Engagement Framework
One of the persistent challenges in sustainability is fragmentation (only focusing on one sector or one kind of capital). A model that encourages integration (social, ecological, economic, cultural) can help avoid silos or unintended tradeoffs (e.g. “green” policy that hurts communities).
Engagement Framework
A community engagement framework can help cities and communties structure their journey in sustainability more strategically..
Potential Multiplier Effect
Adoption of this model at scale could shift the “quality” of sustainability work across many domains, raising resilience and coherence.
Conceptual rigor
Models that codify feedback loops and relational thinking have the potential to guide more disciplined interventions rather than ad hoc ones.
Community Narratives as Usable Data
When translated into reliable and actionable data lived-experience narratives provide more inclusive foundation for city plans, policies, and programs.
This diagram is a visual representation of some key issues important to local residents during several community engagement efforts of Living United for Change in Arizona (LUCHA) and the Arizona Center for Empowerment (ACE).
Conceptual Modeling
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Breadth and scale: how many people or systems are affected (local, regional, global)
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Depth of change: superficial changes (e.g. awareness) versus structural change (policy, economic incentives)
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Durability and resilience: whether the changes persist over time and adapt to stress
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Trade-offs or unintended consequences: resource consumption, rebound effects
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Coherence with planetary limits: do they remain within ecological boundaries, rather than pushing more impact elsewhere
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Sample Dashboard
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