Environmental planning is the process of facilitating decision making to carry out land

development with the consideration given to the natural environment, social, political, economic and
governance factors and provides a holistic framework to achieve sustainableoutcomes. A major goal
of environmental planning is to create sustainable communities, which aim to conserve and protect
undeveloped land.[1]

Elements[edit]
Environmental planning concerns itself with the decision making processes where they are required
for managing relationships that exist within and between natural systems and human systems.
Environmental planning endeavors to manage these processes in an effective, orderly, transparent
and equitable manner for the benefit of all constituents within such systems for the present and for
the future. Present day environmental planning practices are the result of continuous refinement and
expansion of the scope of such decision making processes. Some of the main elements of present-
day environmental planning are:

 Social & economic development

 Urban development
 Regional development
 Natural resource management & integrated land use
 Infrastructure systems
 Governance frameworks
The environmental planning assessments encompass areas such as land use, socio-
economics, transportation, economic and housing characteristics, air pollution, noise pollution,
the wetlands, habitat of the endangered species, flood zones susceptibility, coastal zones erosion,
and visual studies among others, and is referred to as an Integrated environmental planning
assessment.[2] It is the ability to analyze environmental issues that will facilitate critical decision
making.

North America[edit]
United States[edit]
In the United States, for any project, environmental planners deal with a full range of environmental
regulations from federal to state and city levels, administered federally by the Environmental
Protection Agency.[3] A rigorous environmental process has to be undertaken to examine the impacts
and possible mitigation of any construction project. Depending on the scale and impact of the
project, an extensive environmental review is known as an Environmental Impact Statement (EIS),
and the less extensive version is Environmental Assessment (EA). Procedures follow guidelines
from National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA), State Environmental Quality Review Act (SEQRA)
and/or City Environmental Quality Review (CEQR), and other related federal or state agencies
published regulations. Eccleston has developed a set of tools and techniques for solving NEPA and
environmental planning problems.[1]
The Association of Environmental Professionals (AEP) is a non-profit organization of interdisciplinary
professionals including environmental science, resource management, environmental planning and
other professions contributing to this field. AEP is the first organization of its kind in the USA, and its
influence and model have spawned numerous other regional organizations throughout the United
States. Its mission is to improve the technical skills of members, and the organization is dedicated to
"the enhancement, maintenance and protection of the natural and human environment". From
inception in the mid-1970s the organization has been closely linked with the maintenance of
the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA), due to California being one of the first states to
adopt a comprehensive legal framework to govern the environmental review of public policy and
project review.

Asia[edit]
In the Philippines, the Republic Act 10587 governs the practice of Environmental Planning. The law
defines Environmental Planning as "a multi-disciplinary art and science of analyzing, specifying,
clarifying, harmonizing, managing and regulating the use and development of land and water
resources, in relation to their environs, for the development of sustainable communities and
ecosystems.". It is sometimes referred to as urban and regional planning, city planning, town and
country planning, and/or human settlements planning.
An Environmental Planner is a person who is registered and licensed to practice environmental
planning and who holds a valid Certificate of Registration and a valid Professional Identification Card
from the Board of Environmental Planning and the Professional Regulation Commission of the
Republic of the Philippines. To be a licensed planner, one must prove that he/she has at least 2
years planning experience or a master's degree in a relevant field of study aside from a bachelor's
degree in Engineering, Architecture, Economics, and other related Social Sciences. Areas of
competency for planners are:

1. Physical Planning
2. Social Planning
3. Economic Planning
4. Planning Law and Administration; and
5. Special Planning Studies.
There is a current move to require in five years time the Bachelor of Science in Environmental
Planning as a requisite for one to be a licensed environmental planner. As of this writing, the
curriculum for BS Environmental Planning is being reviewed by the Board of Environmental Planning
and the Commission on Higher Education (CHED).
The only accredited organization for environmental planners in the Philippines is the Philippine
Institute of Environmental Planners (PIEP).
Scope of Practice. – REPUBLIC ACT NO. 10587 The practice of environmental planning, within the
meaning and intent of this Act, shall embrace the following:

1. Providing professional services in the form of technical consultation, rendering of technical

advice, plan preparation, capacity building and monitoring and evaluation of implementation
involving the following:

1.
1. National, regional or local development and/or physical framework and
comprehensive land-use plans;
2. Zoning and related ordinances, codes and other legal issuances for the development
and management, preservation, conservation, rehabilitation, regulation and control
of the environment, including all land, water, air and natural resources;
3. Planning and development of a barangay, municipality, city, province, region or any
portion or combination thereof; and
4. Development of a site for a particular need or special purpose, such as economic or
ecological zones; tourism development zones; and housing and other estate
development projects, including the creation of any other spatial arrangement of
buildings, utilities, transport and communications;
2. In relation to any of the activities enumerated in paragraph (1) above, preparing the following
studies:
1. Pre-feasibility, feasibility and other related concerns;
2. Environmental assessments; and
3. Institutional, administrative or legal systems;
3. Curriculum and syllabi development in licensure examinations for environmental planners
and teaching in academic institutions and conducting review courses in environmental
planning;
4. Serving as expert witness, resource person, lecturer, juror or arbitrator in hearings,
competitions, exhibitions and other public fora; conduct of hearings, competitions, exhibits
and other public fora;
5. Ensuring compliance with environmental laws including the acquisition of regulatory permits.
The Professional Regulatory Board, subject to approval of the Professional Regulation
Commission, may add to, or exclude from, this section any activity or act of professional
practice, or revise it as the need arises to conform to changes and new developments
brought about by the latest trends in environmental planning; and
6. Perform other acts or conduct other activities that may be determined by the Board, subject
to approval by the Professional Regulation Commission in light of the trend of the practice of
the profession.