Theoretical constructs of social capital and sustainable community development are examined through the lens of the lived experience of a small Vermont town. A case study of the community's land use planning history from the 1960's through to the present assesses the actions and relationships among individuals and institutions engaged in civic efforts to achieve environmental, economic, and social balance in development decision-making. The role of a land trust and its members as a community system changing variable---a self-organized institutional response to the concerns of citizens to the unsustainable development of their community---is evaluated. Findings describe the process whereby social capital is converted into civic action to direct a community's path towards a sustainable future and provides recommendations for supporting the process of change.
","abstract_html":"<p>Theoretical constructs of social capital and sustainable community development are examined through the lens of the lived experience of a small Vermont town. A case study of the community's land use planning history from the 1960's through to the present assesses the actions and relationships among individuals and institutions engaged in civic efforts to achieve environmental, economic, and social balance in development decision-making. The role of a land trust and its members as a community system changing variable---a self-organized institutional response to the concerns of citizens to the unsustainable development of their community---is evaluated. Findings describe the process whereby social capital is converted into civic action to direct a community's path towards a sustainable future and provides recommendations for supporting the process of change.</p>","abstract_has_math":false,"creators":["Brushett, Lynda A"],"institution":null,"degree_name":"Doctor of Philosophy","degree_level":"Dissertation","degree_discipline":null,"degree_department":null,"school":null,"contributors":["Mimi Larsen Becker"],"advisors":[],"committee_chairs":[],"committee_members":[],"year":2004,"date_issued":"2004-01-01T08:00:00Z","date_published":"2004-01-01T08:00:00Z","updated_at":"2026-07-24T05:22:01Z","subjects":["Sociology","Social Structure and Development","Environmental Sciences","Urban and Regional Planning"],"languages":[],"rights":[],"rights_urls":[],"identifier_entries":[]},"links":{"outbound_url":"https://scholars.unh.edu/dissertation/203","outbound_label":"Repository record","outbound_source":"dc:identifier"},"metadata_groups":[{"id":"people","label":"People","entries":[{"key":"dc:contributor","label":"Contributor","values":["Mimi Larsen Becker"]},{"key":"dc:creator","label":"Author","values":["Brushett, Lynda A"]}]},{"id":"academic_context","label":"Academic Context","entries":[{"key":"thesis:degree_level","label":"Degree Level","values":["Dissertation"]},{"key":"thesis:degree_name","label":"Degree Name","values":["Doctor of Philosophy"]}]},{"id":"subjects_keywords","label":"Subjects and Keywords","entries":[{"key":"dc:subject","label":"Dc Subject","values":["Sociology","Social Structure and Development","Environmental Sciences","Urban and Regional Planning"]}]},{"id":"identifiers","label":"Identifiers","entries":[{"key":"dc:identifier","label":"Identifier","values":["https://scholars.unh.edu/dissertation/203"]}]},{"id":"additional","label":"Additional Metadata","entries":[{"key":"dc:description.abstract","label":"Abstract","values":["Theoretical constructs of social capital and sustainable community development are examined through the lens of the lived experience of a small Vermont town. A case study of the community's land use planning history from the 1960's through to the present assesses the actions and relationships among individuals and institutions engaged in civic efforts to achieve environmental, economic, and social balance in development decision-making. The role of a land trust and its members as a community system changing variable---a self-organized institutional response to the concerns of citizens to the unsustainable development of their community---is evaluated. Findings describe the process whereby social capital is converted into civic action to direct a community's path towards a sustainable future and provides recommendations for supporting the process of change.
"]},{"key":"dc:title","label":"Title","values":["Examining the role of social capital in community development: How the creation of a land trust set a small town on the path to sustainability"]}]}],"canonical_facts":{"dc:contributor":["Mimi Larsen Becker"],"dc:creator":["Brushett, Lynda A"],"dc:description.abstract":["Theoretical constructs of social capital and sustainable community development are examined through the lens of the lived experience of a small Vermont town. A case study of the community's land use planning history from the 1960's through to the present assesses the actions and relationships among individuals and institutions engaged in civic efforts to achieve environmental, economic, and social balance in development decision-making. The role of a land trust and its members as a community system changing variable---a self-organized institutional response to the concerns of citizens to the unsustainable development of their community---is evaluated. Findings describe the process whereby social capital is converted into civic action to direct a community's path towards a sustainable future and provides recommendations for supporting the process of change.
"],"dc:identifier":["https://scholars.unh.edu/dissertation/203"],"dc:subject":["Sociology","Social Structure and Development","Environmental Sciences","Urban and Regional Planning"],"dc:title":["Examining the role of social capital in community development: How the creation of a land trust set a small town on the path to sustainability"],"thesis:degree_level":["Dissertation"],"thesis:degree_name":["Doctor of Philosophy"]},"updated_at":"2026-07-24T05:22:01Z"}