Integrating monitoring systems: Exploring the link between urban planning and environmental assessment

Abstract

The role of Strategic Environmental Assessment (SEA) in urban planning is becoming increasingly significant, as this tool can be valuable for promoting sustainability in cities, which are increasingly vulnerable to environmental and socio-economic impacts, such as climate change and biodiversity loss. Nevertheless, the practice of monitoring SEA processes and their respective plans remains underdeveloped, and it is primarily focused on narrow thematic approaches or on theoretical frameworks, lacking comprehensive data from real cases. Research that integrates and compares various environmental monitoring instruments across different assessments and plans is limited, with most studies focusing on thematic monitoring of individual SEAs or single plans. This research aims to analyze the relationship between spatial planning monitoring instruments and environmental assessment instruments, with a particular focus on how SEA processes may influence the design and content of spatial monitoring frameworks. Through a comparative analysis of 12 Portuguese municipalities using an analytical framework and content analysis of SEA and spatial planning monitoring reports, the study reveals that monitoring frequency is low, particularly for SEAs, where the practice is almost non-existent. The findings also indicate that the monitoring programs outlined in SEA Environmental Statements directly influence the development of one of the spatial planning monitoring instruments, the Report on State of Spatial Planning, highlighting opportunities to improve integration across environmental management tools. Additionally, this study emphasizes the need for further empirical research to deepen the understanding of challenges in monitoring SEAs within urban planning as in Municipal Master Plan frameworks.