The environmental planning handbook for sustainable communities and regions

Abstract

This book describes how protecting air quality, watersheds, natural landscapes, wildlife habitats, farmland, and forests largely depends on the effective and timely action at the local level. The book clarifies complex environmental issues, it examines current sustainability efforts, and it offers step-by-step guidance for local governments to incorporate sustainable environmental quality into local and regional comprehensive planning. This book is divided into six parts and it is intended for public sector planners, private planning consultants, developers, politicians, environmentalists, concerned citizens, and students. Part 1 begins with a chapter on how communities and regions can incorporate environmental planning into their comprehensive planning process and Chapter 2 provides an overview of the disciplines that influence decision making regarding the environment: law, economics, ethics and ecology. Part II presents the case for protecting public health using environmental planning. Chapters 3 through 7 describe water supply, water and air quality, solid and toxic waste, and the federal, state and local government regulations and spending programs. Part III discusses the challenges to and the planning programs for the protection of natural areas including wilderness, wetlands, coastal areas, and natural hazards. Part IV focuses on the planning of the working landscape. Chapter 13 describes farming and ranching, Chapter 14 describes forestry and Chapter 15 describes mining. Part V begins with Chapter 16 on how transportation shapes the built environment and Chapter 17 discusses the role of energy, renewable energy supplies and energy conservation. Chapter 18 presents ways to revitalize the built environment in America’s cities and older suburbs and Chapter 19 discusses planning for the development of Greenfield sites. Part VI is a single chapter that discusses the encouraging trends in environmental planning that may someday further the concept of sustainability as well as the remaining environmental planning challenges and needs at the local, state, federal, and international levels.

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