Conceptualizing learning for sustainability through environmental assessment: critical reflections on 15 years of research

Advancing the theory and practice of impact assessment: Setting the research agenda

“…While it has long been recognised that instrumental forms of public participation or engagement, whereby members of the public are invited to comment on proposals or draft impact statements, are entirely inadequate, trends towards more deliberative and empowering forms of engagement have been slow, even in SIA (Adelle and Weiland, 2012;Esteves et al, 2012). Recent contributions have explored the purposes and substantive outcomes of public participation in impact assessment and policy-making more generally (O'Faircheallaigh, 2010), and the concept of public participation as a process of social learning has gained particular traction in recent years, where the focus is less on an individual decision and more on long term outcomes through processes of transformation (Sinclair and Diduck, 2001;Sinclair et al, 2008).…”

Do indicators influence communication in SEA? — Experience from the Chinese practice

“…Social learning through participation and engagement is seen as another benefit in environmental assessment (Diduck and Mitchell, 2003;Fitzpatrick, 2006;Partidário and Arts, 2005;Sinclair et al, 2008;Vicente and Partidário, 2006). Arguments based on the traditional EIA-based SEA -but going beyond it -for a more communication-based SEA rooted in the perspective of communicative planning (Fischer, 2003) have been proposed intensively in the last decade (Hilden et al, 2004;Partidário, 2000;Vicente and Partidário, 2006).…”

Towards sustainability assessment follow-up

“…This implies an ongoing role for the community and other stakeholders beyond the ex ante impact assessment, where the importance of broad engagement is increasingly recognised (e.g. Hunsberger et al, 2005;Sinclair and Diduck, 2001;Sinclair et al, 2008), throughout the life of the development and beyond, including ex post follow-up activities.…”