scholarly journals Are Agencies Turning a Blind Eye to Public Access to Environmental Assessment Information?

2015 ◽  
Vol 17 (03) ◽  
pp. 1550028 ◽  
Author(s):  
Lisa Friederike Odparlik
Keyword(s):  
Public Participation ◽  
Environmental Assessment ◽  
Planning Process ◽  
Technical Information ◽  
Information Provision ◽  
Public Access ◽  
Planning Theory ◽  
Environmental Assessments ◽  
Electricity Grid ◽  
Wide Range

For environmental assessments (strategic environmental assessment (SEA) and environmental impact assessment (EIA)) a wide range of data and documents is gathered, processed, and produced. In planning theory, this information is viewed to have a transformative function: It can affect perceptions in advance of a decision, thereby impacting the planning process at all levels and stages. The role of this information in supporting transparent public participation is often neglected. This paper analyses the current implementation of legal requirements providing access to information on environmental assessments (EAs) in Germany's electricity grid expansion and federal road planning sectors, using a criteria based case study analysis of agency websites. The 92 analysed websites primarily provide general planning information, technical information, and final decisions. One third of the websites provided EA documents, and show a clear need for improvement in information provision about and in support of public participation.

scholarly journals Civil society participation in the Scottish marine planning process and the role of Environmental Non-Governmental Organisations

2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Esther Brooker ◽  
Charlotte Rachael Hopkins ◽  
Emilie Devenport ◽  
Lucy Greenhill ◽  
Calum Duncan
Keyword(s):  
Civil Society ◽  
Public Participation ◽  
Planning Process ◽  
Technical Information ◽  
Public Representation ◽  
Management And Development ◽  
Decision Making Processes ◽  
Planning Processes ◽  
Marine Planning

Sustainable development principles are based on the fundamental recognition of humans as an integral part of the ecosystem. Participation of civil society should therefore be central to marine planning processes and enabling ecosystem-based management, and development of mechanisms for effective participation is critical. To date, little attention has been given to the role of Environmental Non-Governmental Organisations (ENGOs) in public participation. In this paper, the results of two workshops, which involved various stakeholders and addressed public participation in marine planning, are reported and discussed in the context of the Scottish marine planning process. ENGOs’ role in communicating complex policies, representing members’ interests and contributing towards participatory governance in marine planning is highlighted. Innovative outreach methods are still required by decision-makers to translate technical information, integrate local knowledge, improve public representation and conserve resources. This could include collaboration with ENGOs to help promote public participation in decision-making processes.

scholarly journals Key Challenges for Land Use Planning and Its Environmental Assessments in the Abuja City-Region, Nigeria

Land ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 10 (5) ◽  
pp. 443
Author(s):  
Evidence Chinedu Enoguanbhor ◽  
Florian Gollnow ◽  
Blake Byron Walker ◽  
Jonas Ostergaard Nielsen ◽  
Tobia Lakes
Keyword(s):  
Land Use ◽  
Land Cover ◽  
Environmental Assessment ◽  
Land Use Planning ◽  
Environmental Sustainability ◽  
Sub Saharan Africa ◽  
Environmental Assessments ◽  
City Regions ◽  
Sub Saharan ◽  
Land Cover Maps

Land use planning as strategic instruments to guide urban dynamics faces particular challenges in the Global South, including Sub-Saharan Africa, where urgent interventions are required to improve urban and environmental sustainability. This study investigated and identified key challenges of land use planning and its environmental assessments to improve the urban and environmental sustainability of city-regions. In doing so, we combined expert interviews and questionnaires with spatial analyses of urban and regional land use plans, as well as current and future urban land cover maps derived from Geographic Information Systems and remote sensing. By overlaying and contrasting land use plans and land cover maps, we investigated spatial inconsistencies between urban and regional plans and the associated urban land dynamics and used expert surveys to identify the causes of such inconsistencies. We furthermore identified and interrogated key challenges facing land use planning, including its environmental assessment procedures, and explored means for overcoming these barriers to rapid, yet environmentally sound urban growth. The results illuminated multiple inconsistencies (e.g., spatial conflicts) between urban and regional plans, most prominently stemming from conflicts in administrative boundaries and a lack of interdepartmental coordination. Key findings identified a lack of Strategic Environmental Assessment and inadequate implementation of land use plans caused by e.g., insufficient funding, lack of political will, political interference, corruption as challenges facing land use planning strategies for urban and environmental sustainability. The baseline information provided in this study is crucial to improve strategic planning and urban/environmental sustainability of city-regions in Sub-Saharan Africa and across the Global South, where land use planning faces similar challenges to address haphazard urban expansion patterns.

Integrating Environment into Development Strategy of Tianjin Binhai New Area through Strategic Environmental Assessment

2012 ◽  
Vol 178-181 ◽  
pp. 820-824
Author(s):  
Li Li Tian ◽  
Ya Fei Zhao
Keyword(s):  
Decision Making ◽  
Development Strategy ◽  
Environmental Assessment ◽  
Planning Process ◽  
Strategic Environmental Assessment ◽  
Atmospheric Environment ◽  
Land Resource ◽  
Low Carbon ◽  
Offshore Area ◽  
Tianjin Binhai New Area

Some strategic environmental assessment (SEA) pilot cases in China strive to integrate environmental issues into the planning from the beginning. One of them is the SEA for development strategy of Tianjin Binhai New Area. The SEA adopted an interactive assessment mode with the decision-making process and predicted the environmental impacts of the development strategy on land resource, water resource, energy, surface water, atmospheric environment, and ecosystem of land area and offshore area. The future development strategy of circular economy and low-carbon economy in Tianjin Binhai New Area was also analyzed. Finally, experience from the SEA case was discussed. The case study shows that support from non-environmental agencies, early integration of SEA process and planning process, interactive assessment mode, and sensible environmental protection strategy facilitate the integration of environment into decision-making.

Arcades City: Early-Modern City Planning Practice of Wuzhou

2014 ◽  
Vol 641-642 ◽  
pp. 616-619
Author(s):  
Ji Li ◽  
Bai Hao Li ◽  
Li Lin
Keyword(s):  
Early Modern ◽  
City Planning ◽  
Planning Process ◽  
Early Stage ◽  
Road Construction ◽  
Urban Morphology ◽  
Planning Theory ◽  
Modern City ◽  
The Road ◽  
Historic City

With regard to planning theory and practical construction of Early-modern City Planning in Wuzhou, the paper discusses the historic city regeneration was adhere to old city structure and regional resource at early stage, and new planning refer to technology of ideal cities in Europe and America later. It also analyzes the urban morphology for the "Road Construction→Historic City Renovation→Experimental Regional Planning" process, summarizes the activities of Wuzhou early-modern city planning and construction has “Arcades City” characteristic.

scholarly journals On Time and Planning: Opening Futures by Cultivating a “Sense of Now”

2018 ◽  
Vol 34 (3) ◽  
pp. 267-285 ◽  
Author(s):  
Lucie Laurian ◽  
Andy Inch
Keyword(s):  
Social Relations ◽  
Theory And Practice ◽  
Planning Theory ◽  
Clock Time ◽  
The Past ◽  
Wide Range ◽  
Improve Planning

Planning seeks to shape sociospatial outcomes but is also, by nature, future oriented. Yet, planning theory and practice have paid relatively little attention to ongoing debates about changing social relations to time. Building on a wide range of disciplines, we review the multiple temporalities through which lives are lived, the modern imposition of clock time, postmodern acceleration phenomena in the Anthropocene, and their implications for planning’s relationship to the past, present, and future and for planning theory. We discuss how thinking more and differently about time might challenge and improve planning by helping theory do better justice to the complexity of practice. We conclude by outlining eight propositions for rethinking planning’s relationship to time.

scholarly journals Public Perceptions and Practices of Recycling in the City of Laramie in Wyoming

2017 ◽  
Author(s):  
Upendra B. Bom ◽  
Shashidhar Belbase ◽  
Reni Bibriven Lila
Keyword(s):  
Public Participation ◽  
Planning Process ◽  
Environmental Concern ◽  
Quantitative Result ◽  
Community Outreach ◽  
Factors Affecting ◽  
Diversion Rate ◽  
High Level ◽  
Survey Responses ◽  
The City

Managing household solid waste is an urban problem in recent years. To tackle this problem, recycling is one of the most effective methods applicable in waste management. Recycling in the city of Laramie in Wyoming has a history that dates to 1983 with the establishment of Ark Recycling center. Laramie officially started its curbside recycling services in September 2011 and In April 2012, the city declared its long-term goal to achieve 40% diversion rate by 2030. The study involved a mail-back survey to understand public participation landscape and factors affecting recycling behaviors and attitudes of residents in Laramie. Quantitative result of the survey responses, civic engagement score, recycling importance score recycling satisfaction and recycling behavior scores were created to understand these attributes. In addition, three key informant interviews were conducted to explore efforts of the city, the University of Wyoming and the Ark Regional Services. Findings of the study show that more than 80% of the survey respondents indicated environmental concern was the major motivation to join recycling with high level of recycling importance and satisfaction. The Study further uncovered hints that Laramie needs to introduce an aggressive educational policy, incentive policies and a Master Plan to meet its 40% waste diversion rate by 2030 by maintaining stronger public participation in its planning process and community outreach programs.

scholarly journals Justice and the planning process: how far have we come and where are we going?

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Rebecca Augustyn
Keyword(s):  
Planning Process ◽  
Institutional Context ◽  
Planning Theory ◽  
Planning Practice ◽  
Theories Of Justice ◽  
Practice Gap ◽  
Context Dependent ◽  
The Law ◽  
Theory Practice Gap ◽  
Regent Park

Justice is a context-dependent, multi-faceted concept that has historically been associated with planning theory. In this paper, the literature surrounding the concept of justice will be explored to understand where the concept of justice has come from, how it has evolved, and how it can be applied to the planning process. In addition, how justice interacts with other critical concepts, such as the law, morality, and ethics, as well as its ability to function within the institutional context will also be assessed. The concept of justice is be applied to the planning process as it occurs in planning practice in an attempt to bridge the theory-practice gap that exists in planning. Using Fainstein’s concept of justice, with her three criteria of equity, diversity, and democracy, the planning process of the two redevelopments of Regent Park is assessed through the lens of justice in an attempt to apply theories of justice to planning practice.

Institutional Arrangements and Political Shifts in Curitiba, Brazil: A Comparative Analysis of the 2004 and 2014 Master Plans

2018 ◽  
Vol 19 (2) ◽  
pp. 112-128 ◽  
Author(s):  
Débora Follador ◽  
Fábio Duarte ◽  
Mario Carrier
Keyword(s):  
Comparative Analysis ◽  
Public Participation ◽  
Planning Process ◽  
Institutional Arrangement ◽  
Institutional Arrangements ◽  
Master Plan ◽  
Municipal Elections ◽  
Master Plans ◽  
Political Upheaval ◽  
New Public

In theory, shifts in institutional arrangements result in new public policies. This articles focuses on Curitiba, Brazil, an international flagship city of urban planning recognized for its technocratic government. The 2012 municipal elections and the 2013 nationwide political upheaval led to a change in the city's institutional arrangement. As a consequence, the 2014 Master Plan was conceived with the tagline of more public participation. This paper analyzes whether the changes in institutional arrangements influenced the city's planning process and the Master Plan.

Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document