The wide-spread shift to a sustainability paradigm for city planning makes this an important point in time to explore the integration of cultural considerations into broader sustainability policy and planning initiatives and the alignment of cultural planning with community sustainability approaches and goals. The diverse articles in this special issue of Culture and Local Governance highlight the value of a ‘wide lens’ in understanding how culture and sustainability fit together in a variety of settings. The articles examine the subject from multiple perspectives, providing insights and examples from Europe (Catalonia, Slovenia, Czech Republic, Bulgaria, and Germany), North America (Canada), South America (Brazil), Oceania (Australia), and Africa (South Africa).

The special issue is intended to provide food for thought and, perhaps, guidance for the many communities throughout the world who are currently grappling with the challenge of integrating culture into community sustainability planning.
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Culture and Local Governance (CLG) is a peer-reviewed online journal. CLG offers a space for dialogue across disciplinary boundaries, between established and emerging scholars, and between academics and practitioners. In order to enhance the social impact of work published in its pages, CLG emphasizes research diffusion and communication.