ABSTRACT
The speed by which the concept of green communities has been embraced by officials at all levels of government suggests that it is about more than just the addition of a few trees or recycling bins in a neighborhood. State interest in the environmental dimensions of community life can be traced to a number of different factors, including the influence of international environmental discourse and rising concern regarding quality of life issues in cities. Also important in explaining the rapid development and implementation of state policies to guide green community construction is the perception that these initiatives foster greater public participation in community life and thereby support the state’s shift toward a “small government, big society” model of urban governance. Emerging from this convergence of interests between state officials and grassroots environmental organizers, green community programs thus present an opportunity to examine the ways that state/society interactions are changing in response to the ongoing processes of urban restructuring.
