USGBC local communities around the country are helping cities jumpstart their building performance benchmarking efforts. And the results are pretty exciting. After four years of benchmarking in New York City, buildings there are using almost 15 percent less energy according to MIT professor David Hsu, one of the most widely recognized experts in energy benchmarking...

Governments should begin harnessing the power of community organisations in disaster planning, according to this new report.

After significant bushfires, East Gippsland Shire Council implemented a new approach to disaster recovery using an "asset based community development" approach. This report provides an evaluation of the Project, presenting key findings and recommendations to inform implementation of similar models in future fire affected communities.

Undertaking experiments in public policy is like any other innovation – it requires a mix of disruption, a committed and talented team, and, most importantly, the courage of leaders to let go of bad rules and explore new ways of doing things. This approach can be economically and politically risky, particularly when the communities being...

The Community Development Programme (CDP) is a remote-area Work for the Dole scheme that principally affects Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people. The program is billed by the government as 'helping people find work, and allowing them to contribute to their communities and gain skills while looking for work.' But there is mounting evidence that...