Sustainability Governance and Hierarchy provides a solid, theoretically and empirically grounded reflection on the concept of "sustainability governance". This idea has been growing in popularity in social science literature, as well as among decision-makers and governance actors, as it brings together two vast fields of study that have sometimes been dismissed as vague or ideologically loaded. In order to link the concepts of "sustainability" and "governance", the book is organized around the exploration of hierarchy issues, which often lie in the background of the existing literature but are not the focus of analysis.

The chapters reflect ongoing controversies and dialogue between scientists with different theoretical and thematic backgrounds, who are all willing to participate in and contribute to a constructive effort to reach a more inclusive and more theoretically relevant stage for sustainability studies, being content with merely global analyses. The book is an innovative contribution to the hierarchy/non-hierarchy debate regarding governance arrangements in the field of sustainability and sustainability studies.

This book will be of interest to advanced students and scholars focusing on governance issues, sustainability studies, environmental studies, as well as on the methodological aspects of the social sciences (economy, geography, law, philosophy, political science, sociology, urbanism and planning).

This book is published with the support of the European Union, the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) and the Upper Rhine Interreg V programme, as part of the "Upper Rhine Cluster for Sustainability Research" project.

About the Author

Philippe Hamman is Professor of Sociology at the Institute for Urbanism and Regional Development, Faculty of Social Sciences, University of Strasbourg, France

Reviews

"Sustainability Governance and Hierarchy is an inspiring collection of essays in the broader field of environmental social sciences. Drawing on empirically grounded work and theoretical reflection the contributions of this volume provide a valuable resource for teaching and research activities."
Tim Freytag, University of Freiburg

"With this volume, Philippe Hamman brings together original and timely contributions from excellent scholars. The focus on governance and sustainability, documenting the ways in which public and private actors explore new forms of engagement and redefine their legitimacy, provides an impressive overview and a comprehensive understanding of society/nature relationships in European cities."
Pierre Hamel, Universite de Montreal

"Sustainability is a popular issue which can often produce misunderstandings, having different meanings on an international level. Philippe Hamman's book is a major resource for experts, citizens and policy makers trying to work towards a sustainable Europe."
Maurice Blanc, Urban Institute, Strasbourg Univesrity

Book Information
ISBN 9780367187897
Author Philippe Hamman
Format Hardback
Page Count 262
Imprint Routledge
Publisher Taylor & Francis Ltd
Weight(grams) 521g