A Place-Based Approach to Sustainable Communities: A Case Study from Rapa Nui (Easter Island, Chile)

The failure to account for temporal and spatial contingencies leads to attempts to apply universals to the needs and constraints of communities that may or may not be appropriate. Here, we argue that taking a place-based approach offers a way of incorporating local context to solve issues of sustainability at the scale of communities. We demonstrate this approach with Rapa Nui (Easter Island, Chile), a famous Polynesian island often associated with arguments for non-sustainability. Through detailed analyses of the island’s historical context and interviews with present-day governance leaders, we draw three conclusions. First, culture, governance, economy, environment, and equity, often described as “pillars” of sustainability, are inseparable and therefore better described as dimensions of sustainability. These factors are part of the place in which sustainable communities exist and must be integrated into analyses. Second, our findings demonstrate that we must adopt standards for sustainable communities that can change through time. What would have been considered sustainable in prehistoric times is no longer considered sustainable today. Third, globalization can be viewed as a driving force behind these changing views of sustainability. Furthermore, globalization has had both positive (e.g. access to health, education, and economic resources) and negative (e.g. threat to a culture of sustainability) impacts on Rapa Nui.