SEA effectiveness for landscape and master planning: An investigation in Sardinia

The Italian administrative bodies and planning agencies have embraced with mixed feedbacks the introduction of Strategic Environmental Assessment (SEA) through the European Directive 2001/42/EC. Concurrently, regional and local spatial planning practice have been characterized by a new approach inspired by landscape planning. The Italian region of Sardinia has been one of the pioneering administrative bodies in the Italian and European arena that has adopted landscape principles for the construction of its regional master plan (PPR, Piano Paesaggistico Regionale). Municipalities are now carrying out the review of their master plans to the PPR's prescriptions and indications. Against this background, the aim of this paper is to assess the level of SEA implementation in the municipal master plans of Sardinia, six years after the approval of the PPR. Rooted in the SEA international literature we construct a modular and adaptable on-line survey for officers involved in the review of municipal master plans. The results show that many Sardinian municipalities have not reviewed their master plans to the PPR's regulations yet and only a few municipalities have started this review process according to the SEA procedure.

[1]  Thomas Fischer,et al.  Reviewing the quality of strategic environmental assessment reports for English spatial plan core strategies , 2010 .

[2]  A. Cherp,et al.  From formulation to implementation : Strengthening SEA through follow-up , 2012 .

[3]  Andrea De Montis.  Implementing Strategic Environmental Assessment of spatial planning tools: A study on the Italian provinces , 2013 .

[4]  Paola Gazzola,et al.  Implementing the SEA Directive in Italy: opportunities and barriers , 2004 .

[5]  S. Marsden.  Importance of context in measuring the effectiveness of strategic environmental assessment , 1998 .

[6]  Lone Kørnøv,et al.  Review of critical factors for SEA implementation , 2013 .

[7]  Ulrike Pröbstl,et al.  SEA in local land use planning — first experience in the Alpine States , 2008 .

[8]  Nowarat Coowanitwong,et al.  Importance of context in adoption and progress in application of strategic environmental assessment: Experience of Thailand , 2011 .

[9]  Hens Runhaar,et al.  What makes strategic environmental assessment successful environmental assessment? The role of context in the contribution of SEA to decision-making , 2007 .

[10]  Angus Morrison-Saunders,et al.  Introduction to EIA Follow-up , 2004 .

[11]  Micheál Ó Cinnéide,et al.  Integrating strategic environmental assessment into the review process of a development plan in Ireland , 2009 .

[12]  J. Arts,et al.  SEA follow-up Exploring the concept of strategic environmental assessment follow-up , 2005 .

[13]  Bram F. Noble,et al.  Promise and dismay: The state of strategic environmental assessment systems and practices in Canada , 2009 .

[14]  Thomas Fischer,et al.  The Theory and Practice of Strategic Environmental Assessment: Towards a More Systematic Approach , 2007 .

[15]  Hens Runhaar,et al.  Evaluating the substantive effectiveness of SEA: Towards a better understanding , 2013 .

[16]  Frank Scholles,et al.  Co-ordination of SEA and Landscape Planning , 2005 .

[17]  Sibout Nooteboom,et al.  The success of SEA in the Dutch planning practice: How formal assessments can contribute to collaborative governance , 2010 .

[18]  Riki Therivel,et al.  Principles to guide the development of strategic environmental assessment methodology , 2000 .

[19]  Thomas Fischer,et al.  HAVING AN IMPACT? CONTEXT ELEMENTS FOR EFFECTIVE SEA APPLICATION IN TRANSPORT POLICY, PLAN AND PROGRAMME MAKING ∗ , 2005 .

[20]  John Glasson,et al.  Much ado about SEA/SA monitoring: The performance of English Regional Spatial Strategies, and some German comparisons , 2008 .

[21]  Paola Gazzola,et al.  Implementing SEA in Italy — The Case of the Emilia Romagna Region , 2005 .

[22]  Paola Gazzola,et al.  SEA effectiveness criteria—equally valid in all countries? The case of Italy , 2006 .

[23]  A. Montis,et al.  Nuraghes and landscape planning: coupling viewshed with complex network analysis. , 2012 .

[24]  Thomas V. Fischer,et al.  SEA and Landscape Planning , 2011 .

[25]  Michael Laurie,et al.  An introduction to landscape architecture , 1975 .

[26]  Felix Rauschmayer,et al.  A framework for the selection of participatory approaches for SEA , 2005 .

[27]  Tuija Hilding-Rydevik,et al.  Context awareness and sensitivity in SEA implementation , 2007 .

[28]  Josh More.  Chapter 18 – Conclusion , 2014 .

[29]  Francois Retief,et al.  A performance evaluation of strategic environmental assessment (SEA) processes within the South African context , 2007 .

[30]  M. Gachechiladze-Bozhesku,et al.  Benefits of and barriers to SEA follow-up — Theory and practice , 2012 .

[31]  A. Montis.  Impacts of the European Landscape Convention on national planning systems: A comparative investigation of six case studies , 2014 .

[32]  Brian Hackett,et al.  Landscape planning: An introduction to theory and practice , 1971 .

[33]  Jean-Philippe Waaub,et al.  Public participation in strategic environmental assessment (SEA): Critical review and the Quebec (Canada) approach , 2011 .

[34]  Aleg Cherp,et al.  Quality review package for strategic environmental assessments of land-use plans , 2000 .

[35]  Riki Therivel,et al.  Ensuring effective sustainability appraisal , 2002 .

[36]  I. Mcharg.  Design With Nature , 1969 .

[37]  E. João,et al.  Implementing Strategic Environmental Assessment , 2005 .

[38]  Riki Therivel,et al.  Strategic Environmental Assessment in Action , 2004 .

[39]  M. Déjeant-Pons.  The European Landscape Convention , 2006 .

[40]  Michael. Short,et al.  Strategic Environmental Assessment and Land Use Planning: An International Evaluation , 2005 .

[41]  H. Wittmer,et al.  How to select instruments for the resolution of environmental conflicts , 2006 .