Lex Brown

Going beyond environmental impact assessment: Environmental input to planning and design

Abstract Environmental impact assessment (EIA) has been, and remains for the time being, a very important tool of environmental management — though not always for the reasons one would expect. Major achievements of EIA have been through indirect benefits that have had little recognition to date, particularly the achievements of its stimulative and educative roles. However, EIA is evolving as a planning tool and will continue to do so, and we argue that, in time, we will be able to go beyond EIA as a separate stand alone process. We indicate the requirements for its eventual absorption into project planning and design, and the concomitant need to fully incorporate environmental issues in land use planning to address those matters that cannot be addressed on a project-by-project basis.

Thinking soundscapes into the management of country parks

Countryside and Country Parks, commonly used as an area for recreation, conservation and education, accommodates sunlight and allows free air movement, thus providing visual relaxation. In recent years, ways to make country parks more attractive for use have been highlighted worldwide. Among a number of promoted common themes regarding the protection and enhancement of country parks, sound as a component of the biological and social environment should be utilized for improving the general environmental quality. Based on the large scale field recordings and questionnaire surveys carried out in 3 country parks in Hong Kong countryside, the relationship between subjective evaluation of soundscape and landscape quality as well as the particular contribution of sound in the enhancement of country parks have been statistically analyzed. Results of this study demonstrate a close relationship between subjective evaluation of landscape quality and acoustic quality. Identification of different sound sources in different functional zones, their particular properties and influence on subjective evaluation of the acoustic quality suggests an alternative approach for improving the acoustic quality and consequently the general environmental quality at the countryside location. Keywords: Country Park, Country side, Recreation, Soundscape

OBSERVATIONS ON THE CHANGING PLANNING LANDSCAPE OF SOUTH AFRICA

OBSERVATIONS ON THE CHANGING PLANNING LANDSCAPE OF SOUTH AFRICA MARCUS LANE a , DARRYL LOW CHOY b , JOHN MARSH c , LEX BROWN d & CATHY OELOFSE e a Department of Landscape, Environment and Planning, RMIT b School of Environmental Planning, Griffith University c University of Melbourne d School of Environmental Planning, Griffith University e Geographical and Environmental Science at the University of Natal, Durban