Strategic environmental assessment and regional infrastructure planning: the case of York Region, Ontario, Canada

• Published in: Impact assessment and project appraisal Vol. 29; no. 1; pp. 11 - 26
• Main Authors: Kirchhoff, Denis, McCarthy, Dan, Crandall, Debbe, Whitelaw, Graham
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Abingdon Taylor & Francis Group 01.03.2011; Taylor & Francis Ltd
• Subjects: Area planning & development; Canada; Collaboration; communication; Data analysis; Decision making; Environmental impact; Environmental impact studies; Infrastructure; Land use planning; Land utilization; master plan; official plan; Ontario; Planning; Planning methods; Pollution; Pollution control; Programme evaluation; Public policy; Social policy; strategic environmental assessment; Strategic planning; Studies; Sustainability; Sustainable development; tiering; York Region; Canada; York Ontario Canada; Canada, Ontario
• ISSN: 1461-5517; 1471-5465
• DOI: 10.3152/146155111X12913679730430

Strategic environmental assessment (SEA) is seen as an instrument that is essential to realizing sustainability goals that transcend project-level undertakings (e.g. policies, plans and programmes). The purpose of this case-based, collaborative research was to extend practical and theoretical understanding of SEA to the related, but in practice poorly coordinated, processes of project-level environmental assessment (EA), master planning and regional land use planning. Semi-structured key informant interviews and review of policy documents were used as the main sources of qualitative data to explore the key events that have led to an emerging strategic approach to planning and EA in York Region. This research contributes to the application of SEA at the municipal level, and highlights the importance of an SEA-type approach as a contribution to better informed, tiered and integrated planning and decision making that is underpinned by sustainability.