Strategic Environmental Assessment as catalyst of healthier spatial planning: The Danish guidance and practice

Publikation: Bidrag til tidsskriftTidsskriftartikelForskningpeer review

26 Citationer (Scopus)

Abstract

A wide range of factors within spatial planning can affect health. There is therefore an important scope for Strategic Environmental Assessment (SEA) of spatial plans to protect and improve human health. Due to the EU Directive 2001/42/EC on SEA, health has been made explicit in Danish legislation and guidance. This paper examines the inclusion of health as a formal component in impact assessment of spatial plans. Based upon a documentary study of 100 environmental reports, the paper analyses and discusses how health impact considerations are incorporated in SEA practice. It is found that health impacts are included in SEA practice and are being interpreted in a broader sense than what the national guidance exemplifies. The frequent included health aspects are noise, drinking water, air pollution, recreation/outdoor life and traffic safety. The primary determinant for health is transport-whether it is at the overall or local planning level. The main conclusion is that SEA shows a potential to catalyse healthier spatial planning. Despite the broad inclusion of health in SEA practice the examination shows potential improvements, hereunder qualification of assessments by better explaining the nature and significance of impacts and by including the distributional aspects of human health impacts. Inclusion from the health sector is put forward as an important institutional mean to secure cross disciplinarily and higher quality assessment.
Udgivelsesdato: January
OriginalsprogEngelsk
TidsskriftEnvironmental Impact Assessment Review
Vol/bind29
Udgave nummer1
Sider (fra-til)60-65
ISSN0195-9255
DOI
StatusUdgivet - 2009

Citationsformater