Environmental Planning: The Conservation and Development of Biophysical Resources (second edition)

AS THE AUTHOR points out in the introduction, both the terms “environment” and “planning” are capable of expansion to the point of meaninglessness. Planning may be seen as a generic activity of purposeful anticipation of, and provision for, the future. In this second edition, Selman defines environmental planning as being concerned with society’s stewardship of the earth’s resources. He recognizes that it is difficult to set boundaries in a text on environmental planning and that the scope is somewhat arbitrary. The main emphasis in this instance has been given to the planning and management of land a nd water use in industrial (and post-industrial) society and its relationship to near-surface natural environmental systems. However, these boundaries are permeable, allowing references to the economic principles which underpin natural resource transfers, social perceptions of the environment, and the political and technological forces which shape environmental planning options.

The book seeks to provide an overview of the principals behind the planning of rural and urban environments. It focuses on general ideas rather than on specific practices. Particular topics include: environmentally friendly agriculture; multi-purpose forestry; the management of designated areas; urban wildlife; land resource evaluation; and environmental impact assessment. Individual chapters introduce different approaches to resource planning in the countryside and the city, with an underlying stress on the importance of sustainable development.

The book begins by providing an understanding of the context in which environmental issues have assumed a central role in planning decisions in recent years. The second chapter reviews the range of influences on environmental planning practice, highlighting that it is clearly the product of a variety of ecological, physical, economic, social and political contingencies.

The third chapter focuses on the pertinent spheres of general environmental policy and legislation within which planners operate. This reflects the need of planners to be aware of the policy context of environmental actions, the opportunities for integrating environmental action and the legislation and administration underpinning environmental action. Chapter 4 focuses specifically on the management of natural resources (broadly summarized in terms of productive and protective uses) in the countryside. The next chapter looks at what is emerging as an important basis for understanding the nature and dynamics of the wider countryside, namely landscape ecology. Chapter 6, on urban ecological planning, recognizes that sophisticated modern society rises far above the constraints imposed by the local place and the stresses of seasonality, by subsidizing its ecological economy with large-scale energy and material transfers. The increasing rate of urbanization, combined with the notoriety of the
urban ecological footprint, contributes the framework for understanding the importance of environmental planning.

The final chapter covers two areas that are important in the practical arena for effective environmental planning: the types of information available and the types of techniques that can assist planners in reaching decisions. The discussion focuses on information regarding natural resources and environmental quality, integrating both lay knowledge and the methods for optimizing environmental investment decisions.

In spite of the acknowledgment that planning does not necessarily imply a particular professional affiliation, there is an underlying assumption in this book that town planners have a pivotal role to play in environmental protection. The book has a number of UK-specific examples although, without a doubt, it remains of general relevance. It does not assume prior knowledge on the part of the reader and hence serves as a sound introductory text to the principles behind the planning of rural and urban environments.