Environmental policy integration: Towards a communicative approach in integrating nature conservation and urban planning in Bulgaria

Simeonova, Velislava; Valk, Arnold van der

doi:10.1016/j.landusepol.2016.05.017

Cited by 13 publications

(6 citation statements)

References 55 publications

Supporting

Mentioning

Contrasting

Order By: Relevance

“…The use of the RGA greatly depends on the ambitions and the initiatives of the regional authorities. This is evidence of the challenges that the EPI process faces at regional and local level in light of the ongoing decentralization spurred by many European states (Stead and Meijers 2009;Scholz et al 2012;Simeonova and van der Valk 2016).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 92%

“…These issues have become particularly evident in the implementation of nature conservation policies in many countries in Europe in which the spatial planning systems play a crucial role (Dale et al 2000;Daniels and Lapping 2005;Simeonova and van der Valk 2016). The emergent need for integration of ecological objectives in spatial plans has been as well acknowledged within European policy frameworks on territorial development and biodiversity conservation (EEA 2006a, b;CEC 2011a).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

See 1 more Smart Citation

Implementing ecological networks through the Red for Green approach in a densely populated country: Does it work?

Simeonova

Achterberg

Grift

2017

Environ Dev Sustain

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Regional and local governments in Europe are often challenged with establishing suitable institutional practices to meet ecological targets within urban spatial development plans and address the ultimate goal of the Environmental Policy Integration (EPI). EPI has been proliferated by the European policy as the operational principle to sustainable development. Yet it is necessary to develop and apply suitable approaches that allow achieving EPI within the policy implementation practices of the local and regional authorities. Particularly in the field of urban planning, such EPI approaches are needed to more firmly integrate ecological considerations in the land-use planning process and safeguard the sustainability of urban developments. This is the case when implementing key nature policy objectives such as the development of national ecological networks (NEN) aimed at protecting biodiversity, and in which multiple actors and sectorial interests are involved. Among European countries, the Netherlands has been a forerunner in NEN development and has applied innovative approaches such as the Red for Green approach (RGA). The RGA aims to integrate ecological issues (green) in urban developments (red) and establishes a communicative platform for the actors involved in the urban developments. This study assesses the unique experiences with the RGA in seven regional case studies, identifies its key success factors and reflects on its role as a communicative practice towards EPI. The study concludes that the RGA can be a suitable approach to integrating ecological network objectives in urban developments. However, RGA's success depends on five factors, among which the two most important are the actors' communication and development of a shared strategic vision on developments.

show abstract

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 92%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Implementing ecological networks through the Red for Green approach in a densely populated country: Does it work?

Simeonova

Achterberg

Grift

2017

Environ Dev Sustain

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

show abstract

“…The planning domain, unlike the others, is supported by judicial bases, which creates huge potential for sufficient VEPI [114]. However, the planning domain reached the lowest level of horizontal EPI from all domains, and therefore contributed to a similarly low VEPI.…”

Section: How To Make the Strategic Policy Documents More Efficientmentioning

confidence: 99%

Formulation Matters! The Failure of Integrating Landscape Fragmentation Policy

2020

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Uncoordinated land development results in landscape fragmentation, which is a complex and serious environmental threat to the Czech landscape. It poses a challenge especially for (post)industrial urban agglomerations with extremely low connectivity of green–blue infrastructure. Environmental and spatial planning strategic policy documents are considered to represent long-term communicative instruments for effective environmental protection. Current experience shows that policy documents are commonly poorly integrated, and burdened by formulation inconsistencies. In this study, we (i) specified the driving factors causing landscape fragmentation, describing how the issue is understood by environmental and spatial planning strategic policy documents and (ii) identified criteria for the formulation of these documents at the national and regional governance levels. A content analysis of 12 strategic policy documents enabled the calculation of internal consistency and an assessment of their inter- and cross-sectoral integration. The results revealed formulation flaws in documents, leading to serious misunderstandings of the meaning of the landscape fragmentation between environmental (biocentric) and planning (anthropocentric) policy domains. This aspect makes the horizontal and further vertical cooperation between policy domains difficult. Guidelines for the formulation of strategic policy documents may improve their intelligibility and support smoother environmental policy integration.

show abstract

“…Evidence from the UK indicates that priority habitats have deteriorated, only 37.5 per cent of Sites of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI) were deemed to be in a favourable condition in 2013 (DEFRA 2013). This calls for an integrated approach that sees nature conservation issues being incorporated in spatial planning (Simeonova and van der Valk 2016). Moreover, there is growing support for grassroots innovations and community‐led solutions in environmental protection based on the value of local knowledge for nature conservation and the sustainable use of natural resources (Kelemen et al .…”

Section: Community‐led Nature Conservation: Empowerment and Actionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Applying Neo‐Endogenous Development Theory to Delivering Sustainable Local Nature Conservation

2020

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

The environmental planning agenda is shaped by a range of top‐down policies and directives, both nationally and internationally. Simultaneously, several local, often community‐led, initiatives seek to enhance their local environments. This article seeks to understand both synergies and dissonance between top‐down and bottom‐up actions within the environmental conservation and management domain of sustainable development. Four case studies of local voluntary initiatives in Lincolnshire (UK) are used as the basis to examine how the activities and stated goals of the groups align with wider policy goals and engage with formal planning systems. The analysis draws from the neo‐endogenous development theory to offer recommendations about how to recognise and empower local initiatives within a multi‐level governance approach to delivering sustainable development. Conclusions also suggest that the principles of neo‐endogenous development can be applied more widely to capture greater value from community‐led activities.

show abstract

Environmental policy integration: Towards a communicative approach in integrating nature conservation and urban planning in Bulgaria

Cited by 13 publications

References 55 publications

Implementing ecological networks through the Red for Green approach in a densely populated country: Does it work?

Implementing ecological networks through the Red for Green approach in a densely populated country: Does it work?

Formulation Matters! The Failure of Integrating Landscape Fragmentation Policy

Applying Neo‐Endogenous Development Theory to Delivering Sustainable Local Nature Conservation

Contact Info

Product

Resources

About