Problems of Implementation of Local Agenda 21 in Ancona (Italy). The case of the ‘Peter Pan’ environmental project

According to OECD (2001) the concept of sustainable development is a concern with the quality economic growth as well as its quantity and human well being alongside economic growth. The sustainability has three dimensions, economic, environmental and social, that are distinct and linked together, have the same level of relevance. The social dimension emphasizes the importance of labour employment, of safety nets able to achieve the major demographic and structural changes, of equity and democratic participation in decision making (Dietz, Stern 2008). The paper aims at describing and evaluating the social relevance of a local Agenda 21, the Peter Pan (Progetto di Ecosviluppo del TERritorio della Provincia di ANcona) ecological project adopted by the Province of Ancona in the Marches (Italy). A qualitative research has been carried out by means of interviewing personnel involved in the planning and implementation of the project. Interviews of public administrators, project managers and facilitators have been made during September 2010 at the local Agenda 21 office in Ancona. As principal results the paper shows the democratic procedures for the ecological planning of the territory in the Ancona Province, the role played by public offices in encouraging people environmental consciousness and subsequent participation in developing local plan of action. Furthermore the role of councillors and aldermen in future acts after participation in Peter Pan project are discussed. Findings about the necessity of democratic participation for the success of public interventions are useful for the future local implementation of the European policy on sustainable development.