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Can environmental appraisal be truly interdisciplinary?

Lookup NU author(s): Dr Paola Gazzola

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Abstract

Environmental appraisal is a multidisciplinary decision-making support tool, which aims to promote sustainable development through policies of environmental management and planning. It does so by relying on skills and knowledge that come from the social sciences, natural sciences and applied sciences. Within this context, many recognise that to strengthen and improve practice, environmental appraisal needs to evolve into a more interdisciplinary tool, with greater cross-fertilisation between disciplines and closer collaborations between practice traditions and communities of professionals. This paper suggests that, to date, environmental appraisal is far from being truly interdisciplinary. It argues that 'gate-keepers' are ensuring that the boundaries, traditions and cultural assumptions between disciplines and professions are maintained, setting the frame of reference that guides the practice of environmental appraisal, and influencing professional views in terms of the way in which things are/should be done. Therefore, this paper attempts to explore the cultural assumptions through which environmental appraisal is practised in competent planning organisations, using a cultural filters approach.

Publication metadata

Author(s): Gazzola P

Publication type: Article

Publication status: Published

Journal: Journal of Environmental Planning and Management

Year: 2011

Volume: 54

Issue: 9

Pages: 1189-1208

Print publication date: 26/09/2011

ISSN (print): 0964-0568

ISSN (electronic): 1360-0559

Publisher: Routledge

URL: http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/09640568.2011.562074

DOI: 10.1080/09640568.2011.562074

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