2012/08/13 by XiaoHu Wang, Xiaohu Wang, Christopher V. Hawkins +2 · 217 citations
Engineering · Environmental Science · Social Sciences · #Business #Capacity building #Conceptual framework #Economic growth #Economics #Environmental and Social Impact Assessments #Environmental economics #Environmental planning #Environmental resource management #Geography #Public Policy and Administration Research #Social sustainability #Sociology #Sustainability #Sustainability organizations #Sustainability reporting #Sustainability science #Sustainable Building Design and Assessment
paper · open access · doi:10.1111/j.1540-6210.2012.02566.x
published in Public Administration Review 72(6), 841-853 (Wiley)
openalex publication_date 2012/08/13 · openalex created_date 2025/10/10 · openalex updated_date 2026/08/04
Why do some governments implement more sustainability practices than others? Based on a national survey of U.S. cities, this article finds moderate levels of sustainability efforts and capacity in U.S. cities; about one‐third of the sustainability practices identified in this article have been implemented. The authors conclude that, first, capacity building is a useful conceptual focus for understanding sustainability implementation in U.S. cities. Capacity building involves developing technical and financial support and increasing managerial execution. Second, sustainability is strongly associated with managerial capacity, which includes establishing sustainability goals, incorporating goals in operations, and developing a supportive infrastructure. Third, getting stakeholders involved furthers the capacity for sustaining sustainability efforts. Citizen involvement is strongly associated with securing financial support for sustainability.