From the Publisher: Real positive change in the quest for a sustainable world begins at the local level, on the ground. Yet the prospect of participating in building sustainable communities can be daunting for community groups and the person on the street, as well as for professionals not used to dealing with public participation. This book bridges this gap and takes sustainability and community development out of the ivory towers of universities, government departments and planners to the kitchen tables of the world. Written by one of the world's leading experts on community engagement and planning, this practical guide distills decades of wisdom from community planning engagement and sustainability practice from around the world into a user-friendly and engaging book that is both inspirational and packed with hands-on tools. The core of the book is a bottom-up approach to participatory community engagement and development, referred to as EATING, which consists of 6 components: Education, Action, Trust, Inclusion, Nurturing and Governance. This approach develops community's ability to participate and gives readers the knowledge, vocabulary, tools and confidence to engage in bringing sustainability to the forefront of community planning and development.