Community Capital

There are myriad ways to understand and conceptualize community. For sustainable community development (SCD), the Simon Fraser University think of community in terms of capital, a number or collection of local assets that can produce other benefits through investment of financial and non-financial resources (Roseland, 2012; Emery, Fey and Flora, 2006).  This way of thinking encourages us to think strategically and holistically with regard to existing capacity, sustainability principles, and potential long-term impacts of specific projects, policies, and activities.

At the Rosseau Sanctuary, we are working using this framework along with an Ecological Model to assess our success.

1. Natural capital – the natural environment, ecosystem services
2. Physical capital – infrastructure, the built environment
3. Economic capital  – financial  and income-related
4. Human capital – people’s knowledge, skills and health
5. Social capital  – citizen engagement, organizations, relationships
6. Cultural capital – heritage, values, language, food, etc.

https://www.sfu.ca/sustainabledevelopment/Engagement/community-capital-tool-launched.html