Smart Methods for Environmental Externalities

This book discusses the innovative research instruments developed and employed in the Netherlands, examining their strengths and weaknesses and comparing them with classic environmental planning policy methods. It argues that having a wide and varied range of methods available to local communities from which they themselves can choose is key to the Dutch creativity and success in sustainable spatial planning policy. It suggests best future practice and shows how these new methods can contribute in our on-going attempts to develop and deliver liveable, pleasant and sustainable towns and cities.

Gert de Roo, Jelger Visser and Christian Zuidema, all at University of Groningen, The Netherlands

Preface; Smart methods: methods in a changing environmental policy climate; Part A Context and Conditions: Developments in environmental policy: standards, remediation, politics and integrated environmental management; Diversity uncovered: a comparative framework for methods for environmental externalities; Methods in different shapes and sizes: variation for coping with varying circumstances. Part B Methods and Tools: Environmental zoning approaches: separating the a "gooda (TM) and the a "bada (TM); Checklist methods: between quantity and quality; Quality perspectives: towards tailor-made area-specific solutions; 'Zip' methods:integrating by doing; Information methods: showing is knowing; Other methods: outside the box. Part C Relations and Reflections: The methods in relation to each other: going beyond descriptions; Reflection: what does it all mean?; Bibliography; Index.