Date of Award

2023

Document Type

Open Access Master's Thesis

Degree Name

Master of Science in Environmental and Energy Policy (MS)

Administrative Home Department

Department of Social Sciences

Advisor 1

Chelsea Schelly

Advisor 2

Roman Sidortsov

Committee Member 1

Mark Rouleau

Abstract

As the effects of climate change worsen, it becomes increasingly apparent that just development efforts must be rooted in principles of sustainability and community engagement. This research addresses the role that acceptance plays within two different examples of sustainable redevelopment. The first empirical case examines acceptance of genetically improved trees among family forest owners. The second case explores policy acceptance of community-centric redevelopment of brownfield sites for renewable energy generation. This work uses a combination of survey data and document analysis to shed light on two specific forms of sustainable redevelopment and the consideration given to community priorities and acceptance before making informed policy recommendations. The findings presented in this thesis aim to contextualize what community acceptance can mean for supporting effective redevelopment in an era where sustainability is paramount. This research explores what successful policy implementation that is considerate of community engagement and acceptance can mean for sustainable redevelopment across its diverse domains. While not every instance of redevelopment can be expected to be acceptable for every person, every instance of redevelopment must make space for the disadvantaged and disenfranchised populations that may be impacted by it. Engaging communities in justice centered development can be prioritized through environmental and energy policies that recognize the differences in what different community groups may accept, adopt, impede, or be impacted by during redevelopment efforts.

Creative Commons License

Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.

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