Fundamentals of

Environmental Planning

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 What is Planning? (common sense)
• Planning is a way of thinking oriented towards the future
that anticipates change and designs solutions to address
expected difficulties and thereby improve the quality of
decision-making
• Planning is a systematic process of establishing ends
(goals, policies, outcomes) that define direction of future
development and of determining means and procedures to
achieve the end.
• “Planning in General” is ‘ubiquitous’ – it can be
done by anyone anytime anywhere
• But “Professional Planning” is governed by
internationally-acceptable principles, standards, methods,
and laws.

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 Attributes of Professional Planning
• Public function – aims for the betterment of entire
society, not private individual lives
• Futuristic, forward looking, proactive - envisions a
future state of affairs
• Problem-solving – seeks to resolve past and
present difficulties to better prepare for tomorrow
• People-driven – done not just by a solo planner,
but by many agents of varied disciplines assisted
by local experts from multiple sectors
• Continuous, Iterative, Cyclic – there is an
unending process of using outcomes and feedback
to correct and improve past and present plans
• Time-bound: Plans must have a time perspective
which serves as basis to assess, compare,
evaluate results and outcomes
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 Three Folding Image of Society
• Planning seeks to harmonize three
clusters of values in a three-folding & Enrichment
image of society (Chapin, 1965)
• Ecological Values (natural SOCIETY
(Public-
ECONOMY/
BUSINESS
environment) interest (Profit-
• Profit-oriented values and social- oriented
values)
(business/market) cultural
values)
• Public interest or civic socio-
-
cultural values (community/civil NATURE -
society) Ecological -
Values, security,
• Planning reconciles public with private aims, sustainability
-
-
arbitrates between competing social,
economic, political and physical forces,
allocates scarce resources, particularly land
and other resources, in such a manner as to CHAPIN, 1965
obtain the maximum practicable efficiency
and benefit, for individuals and for society as a
whole, while respecting the needs of Nature
and the requirements of a sustainable future.

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 What is of Environmental Planning?
‘Environmental Planning also known
as urban and regional planning, town
and country planning, and/or human
settlements planning, refers to the
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
ecoystems.” (Legal Definition) – RA
10587 of 2013, Section 4(a)

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 What is of Environmental Planning?
(Legal Definition)
• “refers to activities connected with the
management and development of land, as
well as the preservation, conservation and
management of the human environment”
• Presidential Decree 1308, 1977
• Objective is to liberate communities from
urban blight and congestion and promote
ecological balance
• PD 933, series of 1976, Decree Creating the
Human Settlements Commission, later HSRC,
later HLURB

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 What is Urban and Regional Planning?
• “is the unified development of urban
communities and their environs and of
states, regions, and the nation as a whole,
as expressed through determination of the
comprehensive arrangement of land uses
and land occupancy and their regulation”
(American Institute of Certified Planners
- AICP)

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 What is ‘urban planning’?
• ‘Urban planning’ is “concerned
with providing the right place at
the right site at the right time” for
the right people.
• Use of space has to match needs
of people, of society as a whole,
and of Nature
•John Ratcliffe
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 ‘Environmental Planning’ needs to consider ethical, cultural,
and spiritual dimensions attached by people to space.
Urban
Development
Land Use
and
System
Settlements
Transportation
Utilities and
System
Social Services
Water
Farming Resources
and System
Fisheries Cultural
Critical institutions,
Ecosystems historic places
and Natural to preserve
Habitats

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Some Shifts in Modern Planning
• Before, Product-Oriented; now
Process-Oriented. Planning process is
as important as planning output.
• Before, Too Information-Intensive; now
more Strategic
• Before, Compartmentalized due to
administrative boundaries; now
Integrated (Trans-border)
• Before, “Agency-led”; now “Community-
Based”
• Before, “Top-Down”; now “Bottom-Up”
• Before, Open Participation; now
Focused Participation
• Best Pinoy analogy is ‘Pagluluto ng
Bibingka’ – apoy sa ibabaw, apoy sa
ilalim
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 Levels of Planning

• Scope or Coverage of Planning

Narrow: Perspective, Concept, Framework,
Moderate: Framework Structure, Developmental
Broad: Integrated, Comprehensive, Detailed

• Timeframe/Duration of Plan Examples

Short Term 1-3 years e.g. expenditure plan, AIP
Medium Term 5-6 years e.g. development plan
Long Term 9-10 years e.g. CLUP (3 terms of mayor)
30-50 years e.g. Masterplan (one generation)

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 Some Planning Theories

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 Traditional Planning or ‘Command
Planning’ or Imperative Planning
The Top-Down approach is a grand one-shot
attempt, its end-product is long range (30–50
years) affecting one whole generation, but can Daniel
be massively disastrous when in error Burnham,
Requires full control and full powers of Father of
‘City
Sovereign who authorizes the plan
Beautiful
implements only the dominant vision of an Movement’ in
authoritative leader or ruling clique or elite; USA
Strong on physical planning; physical design
(architecture, engineering, etc) but inadequate
in terms of demographic, social, other aspects.
Applicable when settlements are built from
zero, (tabula rasa), but not applicable when
cities are largely inhabited with much historic
cultural heritage to preserve
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 Systems Theory of Planning

Norbert Wiener

“Cybernetics” (Norbert Wiener,1948;Ashby,1956)

“System is a set or group of interconnected components
interacting to form a unity or integrated whole.” “Relationships”
tie the system together
Cyclical System – free-flowing circuit
Flows Through the System ► Flow of Energy or Matter ► Flow of
Information / Feedback
“Iteration” -- executing the same set of instructions a given
number of times or until a specified result is obtained; completion
of a to-and-fro process

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 Systems Planning Approach by
George Chadwick
Problem Finding

Goal Formulation System Description

FEEDBACK

FEEDBACK
Projection of goals System Modelling

Evaluation of projection System projection

Evaluation of alternatives System Synthesis

Evaluation of
performance System Control

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 Rational-Adaptive-Comprehensive or
Synoptic Planning
Legacy of Sir Patrick Geddes – father of regional
planning – and the post-War planners who advocated
sociological, anthropological, phenomenological, and
historical approaches
• Rational – systematic, uses logic and reason, utilizes
verifiable, replicable, scientific methods
• Comprehensive – covers as much of territory as
possible, as many sectors and aspects, gathers as much
information as possible
• Synoptic – planners do a lot of synthesizing of extensive
information, integrating, drawing deeper insights from
voluminous data
• Adaptive / Dynamic – plans are not static, carved in Sir Patrick
stone, but reviewed, revised, overhauled periodically Geddes and
according to timeframe, as societal conditions change Lewis
Mumford
• Participatory – values the engagement and contribution
of many stakeholders in decision-making; collective
choice of people gives the output plan its legitimacy
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 Rational-Adaptive or Synoptic Planning
UNDERSTAND PROBLEM

•PLAN FORMULATE GOALS

PUBLIC PARTICIPATION
•DO IDENTIFY
ALTERNATIVES
•CHECK EVALUATE
ALTERNATIVES
•ACT
SELECT THE BEST
ALTERNATIVE

PLAN IMPLEMENTATION &

EVALUATION

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 Strategic Planning Identify strategic issues

• Perspective from management

EXTERNAL ENVIRONMENT

INTERNALENVIRONMENT
theorists & business educators Identify context of
strategic iisues
• Focus on strategies to attain

AGENCY

AGENCY
desired state Sort complete information
• uses critical key information
rather than all-information
Employ analytical tools
SWOT analysis
Future-focused
Client-driven Identify Strategic
alternatives
Outcome and results-
oriented Evaluate alternatives
(values, cost-benefit)
High involvement:
Select the best
workforce, clients,
alternative
suppliers, partners
Dynamic Plan Implementation
Evaluation
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 Practice of Planning

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 Scope of Practice under RA 10587 of 2013
(a) “Providing professional services in the form of technical consultation, plan preparation,
capacity building, and monitoring and evaluation of implementation involving the following:
• (1) preparation of national, regional or local development and/or physical framework and land use
plans;
• (2) preparation of comprehensive land use plans, zoning, and related ordinances, codes, and other
legal issuances for the management and development, preservation, conservation, rehabilitation,
regulation, and control of the environment, including water resources;
• (3) development, conservation, redevelopment, and revitalization of barangay, municipality, city,
province, region or any portion or combination thereof; and
• (4) development of a site for a particular need, such as economic or ecological zones; tourism
development zones; and housing and other estate development projects, including creating a spatial
arrangement of buildings, utilities, transport, and communications;
(b) In relation to any of the activities enumerated in (a) above, preparing the following studies:
• (1) Pre-feasibility, feasibility, and other related concerns; (2) Environmental assessments; and (3)
Institutional, administrative or legal systems;
(c) Teaching, lecturing or reviewing any professional subject included in the curriculum and in
the licensure examinations for environmental planning;
(d) Serving as expert witness, resource person, lecturer, juror or arbitrator in hearings,
competitions, exhibitions, and other public fora; and
(e) Ensuring compliance with environmental laws including acquisition of regulatory permits.

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 What is ‘Planning Experience’?
• In the Philippine context, ‘planning experience’ consists of
substantial work experiences in the fields of
• land use, zoning, local governance, development
administration, investment planning, programming
and budgeting, policy research, local economic
development, ecotourism, EIA, feasibility studies,
project planning, estate planning, site planning,
housing, community development, urban design,
transport planning, infrastructure and utilities,
disaster risk reduction, climate change, land
management, water management, solid waste
management, ecosystem management, biodiversity,
conservation, and the like
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 Roles of a Planner

• Planner as Regulator Implements

government
• Planner as Policy Advisor rules and
standards

Works as private
• Planner as Designer consultant, creates
• Planner as Visionary and promotes own
masterplan
Reconciles
conflicting
• Planner as Mediator interests of
contending
• Planner as Facilitator groups in
society
Advances the
• Planner as Advocate civic agenda of
• Planner as Educator the general public

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 Code of Ethics of Environmental Planners
(Adopted by first PIEP Board of Directors May 28, 1977; Adopted again by Board in
1997)
Outline of Contents
• Article I- Foreword and Construction
• Article II- Declaration of Principles
• Article III- Responsibility to the Profession and the Organization
• Article IV- Initiative, Discipline and Responsibility
• Article V- Responsibility to Co-Professionals
• Article VI- Relationship to Client
• Article VII- Responsibility to the Public and to the Country
• Article VIII- Penal Provisions
• Article IX- Effectivity
General Principles of Professional Conduct
Ethical Awareness Ethical Competency
The Professional agrees to conduct his/her business in accordance with
principles in the following aspects:
- Client Service
- Representation of Qualification
- Standards of Practice
- Fair Competition
- Integrity of the Profession
- Professional Development
- Public Welfare
- Release of Information
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