Journal of Urban Planning and Development

The paper discusses the application of an environmental assessment procedure to a community size shopping center proposal in Kingston, Ontario, Canada. The environmental assessment procedure is comprised of four phases: (1) Pre‐analysis; (2) analysis; (3) Environmental Assessment (EA) report preparation; and, (4) EA Report review outline. The results derived from the study were included in an EA report which provided evidence in a hearing that was held to consider approval for the shopping center proposal. The evidence in the EA report supported the request for a land use change to build the shopping center. Approval was subsequently granted.

Southwest Florida contains extensive beaches, barrier islands, estuaries, and wetlands. It has experienced rapid population growth and urbanization which have been in conflict with the natural systems of the region. This paper discusses conflicts between development and the environment, reviews selected legislation, and gives a review of four cases of conflict: Rookery Bay, the Florida Keys, the Big Cypress Area, and Charlotte Harbor. Common to all cases are valuable ecosystems tied to the quantity and quality of land and water resources, but which have experienced rapid urbanization and depletion of those resources. Several important state and federal laws are reviewed which provide management approaches for controlling development and protecting resources and the environment. The paper emphasizes the role of engineers and planners in balancing the economy and the environment, and suggests that they should play a major role in further strengthening legislation to protect environmental values.