Title: Amenity migration and sustainable development in remote resource-based communities: lessons from northern British Columbia

Authors: Tony Jackson, Barbara Illsley, John Curry, Eric Rapaport

Addresses: School of Social Sciences, University of Dundee, Dundee DD1 4HT, Scotland UK. ' School of Social Sciences, University of Dundee, Dundee DD1 4HT, Scotland UK. ' School of Environmental Planning, University of Northern British Columbia, 3333 University Way, Prince George, V2N 4Z9 BC Canada. ' School of Environmental Planning, University of Northern British Columbia, 3333 University Way, Prince George, V2N 4Z9 BC Canada

Abstract: Development in northern British Columbia (BC) has focused on resource-based exports, frustrating efforts to promote self-sustaining development. The paper reports on a pilot study testing the applicability of the 2006 Vancouver Declaration on a |new governance paradigm for managing human settlements| to northern BC. Fieldwork focused on two small northern BC settlements. Semi-structured interviews with key stakeholders offered insights into the composition of a |new regionalism| pathway which exploits the appeal of place to amenity migration, allowing a shift from resource-based dependency towards high added-value professional skills-based employment. The paper explores the evidence for such a shift. Findings indicate that good social capital networks stimulated by pleasant surroundings have promoted more sustainable patterns of local development. Effective territorially-based community governance is seen as important in enabling these settlements to acquire greater ownership of their built and natural environments.

Keywords: remote settlements; community governance; amenity migration; new regionalism; Vancouver Declaration; sustainable development; remote communities; resource-based communities; British Columbia; Canada; skills-based employment; social capital networks; local development.

DOI: 10.1504/IJSSS.2008.020044

International Journal of Society Systems Science, 2008 Vol.1 No.1, pp.26 - 48

Published online: 21 Aug 2008 *

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