BOOKS BY ALFREDO MELA

In recent years, "governance" and "sustainability" have become two of the main keywords of the political discussion on local development and environmental planning. This article focuses on the first one, while stressing the complementary role of the two concepts. In this perspective, it tries to suggest a definition of "governance" from a sociological point of view, analysing different interpretations of theoretical and practical implications of such idea. In particular, some fundamental problems are considered: the different types of actors involved in the environmental planning, the social coalitions, the role of public authorities, the possible tools for an extensive citizens’ participation.