Smart Methods for Environmental Externalities Ashgate Publishers, Farnham 2012
Gert de Roo Jelger Visser Christian Zuidema University of Groningen, The Netherlands
This book presents and explains various categories of methods for environmental externalities. The methods bridge the worlds of spatial planning and environmental policy. As such, they are relevant for spatial planners, local and regional policymakers and those with a concern for or involvement in the environment. It is essential that environmental health and hygiene issues within the process of spatial planning and development are integrated at an early stage in order to improve actions for solving conflicts efficiently and effectively, and to contribute to the liveability of urban environments. All the methods have a Dutch origin; the Netherlands is a pioneering country in this policy field.
The methods in this book have all emerged over the past thirty years. They are the result of the rapidly evolving Dutch environmental-policy landscape, in which there has been a shift from top-down generic policies towards local, area-specific and bottom-up policymaking. Classic zoning approaches as well as recent multi-functional and adaptive tools with a strong focus on communicative, informative and coordinative aspects are discussed in detail. The background and procedure of each of the methods is described and their strengths and weakness are discussed. ‘Smart Methods for Environmental Externalities’ is therefore a useful guide for anyone seeking to enhance the quality of the local environment.
