Pira & Zoppi - input2012

Open issues concerning Strategic Environmental Assessment of the adjustment process of the Sardinian municipality Masterplans to the Regional

Landscape Plan

Cheti Pira, Corrado Zoppi

SEA approach

SEA in the Adjustment of the municipality Masterplans to the RLP:

- Integration of SEA in the planning process (endoprocedimentality)

- Sustainability integration in the planning process

Conclusion

Layout

In the spirit of Directive 2001/42/EC, important conditions for StrategicEnvironmental Assessment (SEA) to be effective are its cooperative andinclusive attitudes and its integration in the planning process (we call it“endoprocedimentality of SEA with respect to plans) .

Cooperation should involve institutions, planning authorities and agencies who are involved in environmental assessment procedures. Inclusion implies favoring and catalyzing local communities’ participation, that is participation of the public, in the catalyzing local communities’ participation, that is participation of the public, in the planning/assessment process.

The object of the SEA is not the decision, which is only the expected result, but the process

that leads to it (Kørnøv e Thissen, 2000).

This presentation discusses some problematic issues in the implementation ofthe SEA in the ongoing experience of the Sardinian municipality Masterplansadjustment process to the Regional Landscape Plan (RLP).

SEA approach

In terms of exportability, the innovation brought about by the Sardinian caseconsists of a methodological approach which is in an advanced experimentalstage, since several municipalities and provinces are implementing SEAprocesses with endogenously-identified planning/assessment objectives, andwith decisions on program/plan actions taken with the aim of addressingsuitable ways of reaching such objectives .

SEA in the Adjustment of the municipality Masterplans to the RLP

Sardinian SEA is particularly significant because the regional administrationissued a Guidelines Manual (“GL” from now on) which not only ensuresformally that an inclusive and incremental SEA process is implemented, but alsodefines rigorously the steps that SEA proceeding authority has to follow .

The SEA process, which couples plan definition and establishment, and itsimplementation, is characterized by a set of phases which should beimplementation, is characterized by a set of phases which should beresponsibly and carefully developed in the interest of the process key-actors,who should not reasonably give-up, since, being the process transparent, atbest, such a decision would most likely appear, to the voters of their localcommunities, as a symptom of incapacity and sloth.

SEA in the Adjustment of the municipality Masterplans to the RLP

Integration between SEA and planning process.Source: GL, page 11

Guidelines Manual for SEA of the Sardinian Region


Activities in the scoping phase.Source: GL, page 12


Activities in the elaboration of the environmental report.Source: GL, page 13

•A common practice at regional level is part of a modus operandi by which theevaluation phases are downgraded and considered marginal in the project-building process. In general, the processing of the Masterplan began prior tothe SEA procedure and therefore the opportunity for an improvement whichthe SEA could have offered in setting up the plan was missed, in particular thedefinitions of goals and alternatives.

•If, as in the case of Alghero, the SEA starts fifteen years after the beginning ofthe planning process of the Masterplan, it seems obvious that it does not makesense to seek alternatives when choices have already been made; it is also clearthat it is difficult, if not impossible, to widen the spectrum of the plan's goals sothat it is difficult, if not impossible, to widen the spectrum of the plan's goals soas to include sustainability issues, in all their nuances.

•Were it not possible to fully integrate the SEA within the planning process, this would disregard the Directive and it would especially result in being heavily hampered in its potential of improvement in the quality of the planning process.

SEA in the Adjustment of the municipality Masterplans to the RLP.Integration of SEA in the planning process (endoprocedimentality)

The ultimate goal of the EC Directive is to highlight the need to improve thequality of the planning process, which should be integrated by benchmarkcriteria, for the definition of the plans’ and programs’ goals, aimed atprotecting the environment and therefore the enactment of good practiceswhich foster sustainable development.In the Sardinian GL, this approach is structured according to the EC Directive ina no longer recent handbook on SEA, which is still a theoretical point ofreference. According to the handbook and the GL, sustainability objectivesshould be integrated into the system of a plan’s objectives based on the ten

Sustainability

should be integrated into the system of a plan’s objectives based on the tencriteria […] listed below:1. minimize use of non-renewable resources;2. use renewable resources within limits of capacity for regeneration;3. environmentally sound use and management of hazardous/polluting substances and wastes;4. conserve and enhance the status of wildlife, habitats and landscapes;5. maintain and improve the quality of soils and water resource;6. maintain and improve the quality of historic and cultural resources;7. maintain and improve local environmental quality;8. protection of the atmosphere;9. develop environmental awareness, education and training;10. promote public participation in decisions involving sustainable development.

“These criteria are applied to key development/investment sectors. They are

intended to assist Environmental Authorities think about these issues” (European

Commission, 1998, p. II. 1);

“Each region will need to decide what its own key criteria should be” (ibid.).

Two steps can be identified in the GL implementation into the adjustmentprocess of the Sardinian towns’ Masterplans to the RLP, with reference toprocess of the Sardinian towns’ Masterplans to the RLP, with reference tosustainability:1) a poor and ineffective implementation in the scoping phase;2) a forceful and efficacious implementation in the definition and issuing

phase of the Environmental Report (ER).

SEA in the Adjustment of the municipality Masterplans to the RLP.Sustainability

Approach #1: the sustainability criteria are not taken into account

It is the most negative approach. It is common in the SEA of the provincial Masterplans.

Approach #2: the question of sustainability is taken into account in an abstract and formal

way

Some scoping documents state that sustainability is an important issue, but they do not

indicate how it should taken into account in the planning process (Assemini, Posada,

Monserrato).

Based on the analysis of some scoping documents, concerning several case studies,

it is possible to summarize the integration of the paradigm of sustainability in the

SEA process through four approaches.

SEA in the Adjustment of the municipality Masterplans to the RLP.Sustainability-The scoping phase

Monserrato).

Approach #3: some scoping documents indicate that sustainability criteria will be taken into

account in the production of the Masterplan, but they do not explain how.

Moreover, these documents seem to neglect the fact that the ten criteria are only a starting

reference point and need to be contextualized

(Alghero, Arbus)

Approach #4: sometimes, some scoping documents show awareness of the

importance of contextualization.

For example, the municipality of Villa San Pietro identifies a first set of objectives,

divided into general and specific with reference to distinct geographical areas. The

scoping document indicates that these objectives will be checked in terms of

sustainability during the preparation of the ER.

SEA in the Adjustment of the municipality Masterplans to the RLP.Sustainability-The scoping phase

The paradigm of sustainability is applied much more effectively than in the scoping documents. The contextualization of the ten criteria may take place for example by the use of the GOPP (Goal Oriented Project Planning) methodology (two ways of applying it: the ER of the Assemini’s and Alghero’s Masterplans).

SWOT

analysis

Tentative

definition of

Masterplan’s

objectives

Definition of the set of

objectives of the

Masterplan as a result of

integrating the criteria-


analysis

Contextualiz

edsustainability

criteria

integrating the criteria-

derived objectives and

the objectives defined in

the first place

The Assemini’s approach

How does the Assemini’s approach work?

From the SWOT analysis: Weakness point: “In the area of Assemini there is the Forest

of Gutturu Mannu, a publicly-owned environmental resource where important

archaeological, archaeo-industrial, architectural and cultural heritage are located, with

particular reference to the San Leone mining site”. From this point of the SWOT

analysis originates the following Masterplan’s objective: “The Assemini’s Masterplan

aims to recognize and protect archaeological, architectural and industrial heritage

through the conservation of the landscape contexts of the communal area”.


through the conservation of the landscape contexts of the communal area”.

From the SWOT analysis: Strength point :“In the area of Assemini there is an

important natural resource, the Santa Gilla Wetland”. From this point of the SWOT

analysis originates the following Masterplan’s contextualized criterion:

“Environmental conservation and recovery of the Wetlands of Assemini”, which

contextualizes the sustainability criterion #5 : “Maintain and improve the quality of

soils and water resource”.

From the comparison of the Masterplan’s objective defined in the first place reported

above and the contextualized criterion reported above, originates the following

redefined Masterplan’s objective:

“The Assemini’s Masterplan aims to protect the Santa Gilla Wetland as one of the

main landscape resources of the communal area”.


SWOT

analysis

Tentative definition of

Masterplan’s objectives

through the integration of

criteria-derived

sustainability-oriented

objectives and social- and

Comprehensive

definition of the

set of the

Masterplan’s


The Alghero’s approach

objectives and social- and

economic-oriented

objectives

Masterplan’s

objectives

How does the Alghero’s approach work?

From the SWOT analysis: Strength point: “In the Alghero’s area there is an important

system of hills, where historic settlements took place, which entails a particular

importance in terms of tourism and public services”. From this point of the SWOT

analysis originates the following Masterplan’s objective: “The Alghero’s Masterplan

aims to improve and update the tourist supply, in terms of receptive structures”.

From the SWOT analysis: Strength point : same as above. From this point of the


From the SWOT analysis: Strength point : same as above. From this point of the

SWOT analysis originates the following Masterplan’s objective: “The Alghero’s

Masterplan aims to protect and make available for tourism the natural protected

areas of the Alghero’s area”, which contextualizes the sustainability criterion #7 :

“maintain and improve local environmental quality”.

The objective defined originally as “The Alghero’s Masterplan aims to improve and

update the tourist supply, in terms of receptive structures”, is redefined as “The

Alghero’s Masterplan aims to promote the local tourism-based development based on

the scientific characterization and qualitative improvement of natural habitats” since,

from the comparison of this objective with the objective “The Alghero’s Masterplan

aims to protect and make available for tourism the natural protected areas of the

Alghero’s area” which contextualizes a sustainability criterion, the original objective

seems too weak since it does not put in evidence that there is a strong linkage

between tourism development and the system of the environmental resources of the

Alghero’s area.


Alghero’s area.

It can be said that, a model of public decision-making based on the conceptualand methodological approach set out in SEA, can be inserted into a broadermodel of regional governance oriented towards the paradigm of sustainability.

We saw that the implementation of the GL is a learning process, where the local

administration of the cities and towns of Sardinia have initially obtained very poor

results (the vast majority of the scoping documents bears witness), and have fairly

improved their outcomes when they issued their ER’s.

The Sardinian approach to SEA of the city and town Masterplans is easily

Conclusion

The Sardinian approach to SEA of the city and town Masterplans is easily

exportable to other Italian regional contexts, since the rules concerning the

process of definition, approval and implementation of the city and town

Masterplans are very similar to each other with reference to the other Italian

regions, as it is with regard to the regional landscape plans.

The most valuable aspect of this exportability concerns the fact that the GLapproach could possibly catalyze and implement community-learning processeswhere regional and local administrations, citizens, private and public bodies,profit and non-profit enterprises, could possibly learn how and why theparadigm of sustainability could improve the quality of the local Masterplansand, ultimately, the quality of life of the local communities.

Conclusion

Technology

Pira & Zoppi - input2012