Impact Assessment is becoming part and parcel of an increasing number of development proposals in the UK and Europe. As the practice of Impact Assessment develops it becomes more standardized and good practice starts to be defined. However, the quality of Impact Assessment is still far from satisfactory. Expert Systems and GIS for Impact Assessment

Environmental impact assessment (EIA) is now firmly established as an important and often obligatory part of proposing or launching any development project. Delivering a successful EIA needs not only an understanding of the theory but also a detailed knowledge of the methods for carrying out the processes required. Peter Morris and Riki Therivel bring together the latest advice on best practice from experienced practitioners to ensure an EIA is carried out correctly. This new edition: • explains how an EIA works and how it should be carried out • demonstrates the relationship of the EIA to socio-economic, environmental and ecological systems • includes completely updated legislative and policy contexts • has added explanations of shared and integrative methods including a new chapter on EIA and sustainability. Invaluable to undergraduate and MSc students of EIA in planning, ecology, geography and environment courses, this third edition of Methods of Environmental Impact Assessment is also of great use to planners, EIA practitioners and professionals seeking to update their skills.

The connections between economics, planning, and the environment are receiv ing increased attention among scholars and policy makers in many countries. The common denominator among these three variables is the earth's life support sys tems, the ecosystems on which the world depends. When we describe our physi cal surroundings as a collection of possible uses, we are establishing linkages between economics, planning, and the environment. Because possible alternative uses compete with each other, and conflicts arise over scarce land resources, the varying environmental impacts of alternative uses are major concerns for the cur rent as well as the next generation. How to achieve sustainable development is the pressing question for today's environmental professionals. Environmental planners and engineers help us study the implications of our choices, and new technologies and techniques that improve the practice of environmental planning should enhance our ability to protect our future. The depletion of the earth's natural resources and loss of biodiversity, the deg radation of air, land, and water quality, the accumulation of greenhouse gases leading to changes in our climate, and the depletion of the ozone layer comprise only a partial list of environmental issues that concern our policy makers. To sup port their decisions, environmental planning must be a multidimensional and multidisciplinary activity that incorporates social, economic, political, geograph ical, and technical factors. Solutions for problems in these areas frequently re quire not only numerical analyses but also heuristic analyses, which in turn depend on the intuitive judgements of planners and engineers.

This comprehensive Handbook describes the implementation of SEA in 18 countries around the world, as well as a critical analysis of different SEA methodologies. It introduces key SEA principles and the legal requirements of the new European SEA Directive, which became law in 2004, and describes the implementation of SEA in 11 European Union countries, as well as the USA, Canada and New Zealand. This is contrasted with SEA requirements of four developing countries.

Since becoming editor-in-chief in 2009 Thomas Fischer has overseen the publication of 22 issues of the Journal of Environmental and Policy Management. This wide-ranging and thought-provoking volume presents a selection of papers from this period. A number of these papers discuss the topics of the journal's special issues. The others offer various international and comparative perspectives on the development and implementation of environmental assessment (EA) and strategic environmental assessment (SEA). By drawing on the expertise of a number of global experts, this comprehensive volume considers the challenges, successes and progress of EA/SEA policy and management since 2009. This volume is perfect for students and researchers interested in environmental policy and its implementation and management.

A revision of Openshaw and Abrahart’s seminal work, GeoComputation, Second Edition retains influences of its originators while also providing updated, state-of-the-art information on changes in the computational environment. In keeping with the field’s development, this new edition takes a broader view and provides comprehensive coverage across the field of GeoComputation. See What’s New in the Second Edition: Coverage of ubiquitous computing, the GeoWeb, reproducible research, open access, and agent-based modelling Expanded chapter on Genetic Programming and a separate chapter developed on Evolutionary Algorithms Ten chapters updated by the same or new authors and eight new chapters added to reflect state of the art Each chapter is a stand-alone entity that covers a particular topic. You can simply dip in and out or read it from cover to cover. The opening chapter by Stan Openshaw has been preserved, with only a limited number of minor essential modifications having been enacted. This is not just a matter of respect. Openshaw’s work is eloquent, prophetic, and his overall message remains largely unchanged. In contrast to other books on this subject, GeoComputation: Second Edition supplies a state-of-the-art review of all major areas in GeoComputation with chapters written especially for this book by invited specialists. This approach helps develop and expand a computational culture, one that can exploit the ever-increasing richness of modern geographical and geospatial datasets. It also supplies an instructional guide to be kept within easy reach for regular access and when need arises.