A framework for Strategic Environmental Assessment of Urban Development Plans based on the principles of Resilience Thinking

Parivar, Parastoo; Faryadi, Shahrzad; Salehi, Esmaeel; Yavari, Ahmadreza; Sotoudeh, Ahad

doi:10.30480/aup.2013.116

A framework for Strategic Environmental Assessment of Urban Development Plans based on the principles of Resilience Thinking

Document Type : Original Article

Authors

¹ Ph.D. in environmental planning, Graduated Faculty of Environment, University of Tehran

² Associate Professor, Graduated Faculty of Environment, University of Tehran

³ Associate Prof., Graduated Faculty of Environment, University of Tehran

⁴ Assistant Prof, Environmental Faculty, Yazd university

10.30480/aup.2013.116

Abstract

Strategic environmental assessment is a tool for considering environmental issues in the early stages of decision-making. Three distinct characteristics of an strategic environmental assessment are : Strategic in nature, integrated in the process of decision making and planning context, and enabling realization of the three objectives of sustainable development. The main objective of this study is to develop a strategic environmental assessment framework based on the theories and principles of resilience thinking as the procedural part of the framework and using the principles of new urban ecology approach to inform the content of strategic environmental assessment framework of Urban Development Plans. Using the resilience approach in the process of strategic environmental assessment has been recently proposed as an effective measure to realize the objectives of sustainable development and to minimize uncertainties concerning the likely impacts of development policies. Resilience is the ability of systems To maintain desirable ecosystem services Deal with environmental changes and human exploitation. Resilience thinking provides insight of unpredictable future, Inevitability of changes and Vulnerability of systems to be considered through multiple scales concept and pick out the appropriate spatial and temporal scale. The content of proposed framework is largely based on New Urban Ecology approach.Ttransformation in ecological paradigm created fundamental changes in urban ecology studies, in the new approach as New urban ecology , the city is being considered as one of the most crucial open and dynamic systems under the influence of human decision and activities at different temporal and spatial scales. The proposed framework is largely based on the two basic principles of New Urban Ecology approach i.e. relationship between structure and functions in urban environment and the application of resilience thinking in sustainable urban development.these two principles can be recognized in conceptual model that developed by Alberti and marzluff (2004). Using the model of Alberti and marzluff (2004) we can find the interactions between Driving forces, structures, functions and impacts in urban environments. finally based on this model, we can defined and analysis the Urban context.The model is used in stages of Strategic Environmental Assessment framework of Urban Development Plans that developed in this research. The proposed framework is composed of three main steps. The first step is to evaluate general resilience of the urban environment setting which is in line with the screening stage in an ordinary strategic environmental assessment procedure. This stage aims at an understanding of vulnerabilities and resilience of the urban setting to disturbances. In General Resilience Assessment System as a whole is considered. The whole system is evaluated based on several criteria. The second stage is to conduct an assessment of the urban resilience to the proposed urban development policies, plans or programmes through a series of consecutive substages including context setting, identification of objectives and assessment criteria, impact assessment and proposals for impact mitigation. And the third stage is to develop an adaptive management system in order to support systematic engagement of public and stakeholders and monitoring of the adverse effects. The proposed framework is expected to be further moderated and validated through its application in different case studies.

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