Thesis (MSc)--Macquarie University, Graduate School of the Environment, 1998. / Bibliography: leaves 102-116. / Introduction -- "Being" in environmental and planning theory -- "Knowing" in environmental and planning theory -- "Acting" in planning and environmental theory -- Philosophy in environmental and planning theory -- Conclusion. / This thesis documents and examines seven histories of environmental and planning thought over the last century, drawing on Yiftachel's (1989) classification of planning theories. It provides evidence that environmental and planning theory over time is moving: away from the understanding of nature as an object; away from the notion of a unitary public interest in planning theory; toward an increasing recognition of uncertainty in environmental decisionmaking; away from instrumental rationality in planning decisionmaking; away from hard determinism in urban design and planning control theory; away from direct pollution controls in environmental policy theory.-- This thesis argues that these changes can be understood in the context of broader philosophical shifts around the issues of being, knowing and acting, involving a reevaluation of the relationships between: subject and object; value and fact; cause and effect.-- It suggests that the changes indicate a shift away from philosophical rationalism in policy theory over time. The thesis concludes that neither the extremes of rationalism or relativism provide a sound theoretical foundation for environmental planning. It suggests that future theoretical development is likely to come from the interaction of theoretical approaches influenced by non-Western cultures, and innovations produced by local cultures adapting existing theories to meet their specific needs. / Mode of access: World Wide Web. / 116 leaves

published_or_final_version / Urban Planning / Master / Master of Science in Urban Planning

published_or_final_version / Environmental Management / Master / Master of Science in Environmental Management

published_or_final_version / Urban Planning / Master / Master of Science in Urban Planning

published_or_final_version / Urban Planning and Design / Master / Master of Science in Urban Planning

This research examines ways to assess the built environment (BE) for its impacts on the ecosystems and its sustainability in terms of social, economic and environmental aspects on an urban scale. The examination is based on the argument, acknowledged in the literature, that urbanisation is one of the leading causes of unsustainable development, and that the BE makes a significant contribution to this. In order to accomplish this, urban dynamics are identified and mapped with respect to the built environment, and the relationship between urbanisation, the built environment, and the ecosystem is closely examined. The thesis argues that the common denominator in all efforts to move closer to sustainability is an effective assessment method, which not only quantifies the impacts but also informs and educates. The current methods used for assessment of the impacts of BE are found to be inadequate. An appraisal of contemporary assessment methods addressing sustainability and environmental issues at micro (individual building) and macro (urban system) levels is conducted to understand the mechanics of assessment theories. Based on this, a framework for a new assessment system which has the potential to overcome some of the observed weaknesses of the existing ones is proposed. Using multi-criteria analysis principles, this system uses ecological footprint and spatial analysis as its operational engine. It is then applied to a part of the Sydney Central Business District (CBD) for an integrated sustainability assessment. The ecological footprint of the building stock, transport, roads, waste disposal and water supply is calculated as a measure of the environmental impact of the built environment. In addition to this, ???return on investment??? (rental return on construction costs) as a measure of the economic aspect, embodied energy as a measure of material consumption, and ???proximity to facilities??? as a measure of the social benefit of the building stock, are calculated to assess the study area performance on these aspects. These are used to compute an integrated sustainability index for the study area. Various attributes of the built environment, such as total constructed area, height of building, road density etc., are analysed against the ecological footprint to understand the patterns of relationships between urban morphology and the state of sustainability.

This research examines ways to assess the built environment (BE) for its impacts on the ecosystems and its sustainability in terms of social, economic and environmental aspects on an urban scale. The examination is based on the argument, acknowledged in the literature, that urbanisation is one of the leading causes of unsustainable development, and that the BE makes a significant contribution to this. In order to accomplish this, urban dynamics are identified and mapped with respect to the built environment, and the relationship between urbanisation, the built environment, and the ecosystem is closely examined. The thesis argues that the common denominator in all efforts to move closer to sustainability is an effective assessment method, which not only quantifies the impacts but also informs and educates. The current methods used for assessment of the impacts of BE are found to be inadequate. An appraisal of contemporary assessment methods addressing sustainability and environmental issues at micro (individual building) and macro (urban system) levels is conducted to understand the mechanics of assessment theories. Based on this, a framework for a new assessment system which has the potential to overcome some of the observed weaknesses of the existing ones is proposed. Using multi-criteria analysis principles, this system uses ecological footprint and spatial analysis as its operational engine. It is then applied to a part of the Sydney Central Business District (CBD) for an integrated sustainability assessment. The ecological footprint of the building stock, transport, roads, waste disposal and water supply is calculated as a measure of the environmental impact of the built environment. In addition to this, ???return on investment??? (rental return on construction costs) as a measure of the economic aspect, embodied energy as a measure of material consumption, and ???proximity to facilities??? as a measure of the social benefit of the building stock, are calculated to assess the study area performance on these aspects. These are used to compute an integrated sustainability index for the study area. Various attributes of the built environment, such as total constructed area, height of building, road density etc., are analysed against the ecological footprint to understand the patterns of relationships between urban morphology and the state of sustainability.

Abstract not available. / Thesis (M.T.R.P.)-University of Natal, 1997.

I write this thesis based on the premise that many environmental problems are the result of conventional community design. I argue that conventional community designs are "anti-ecological" because they consume too much energy, produce an extraordinary amount of waste, are car-oriented, ignore any relationship with the natural environment, and reflect the irresponsible attitude of man conquering nature. However, I suggest that ecologically responsible community design alternatives do exist. I refer to these alternatives as "ecological communities". These communities attempt to function as ecosystems that conserve natural resources, are self-regulating, and produce little waste. / I present the central principles of ecological communities, and then explore the validity of these assertions. Using five ecological communities from Northern Europe, I examine the following principles: (1) alternative energy systems at the community-scale, (2) wastewater treatment and water reclamation, (3) waste management in the community, (4) ecologically sustainable landscapes, and (5) environmentally responsible housing. / Finally, I present my observations and conclusions. The observations are intended to help community designers to understand the characteristics of ecological communities, and perhaps some of the conditions necessary for these communities to exist. The hope is that these observations may assist community designers avoid common mistakes on similar projects. The observations may shorten the time designers require to transfer their ideas from theory into practice. I conclude that when compared with conventional communities--not with perfection or the utopian dream--ecological communities and what they represent can provide designers with viable development alternatives.

No description available.