The rise and fall of the environmental zone:A discussion about area oriented environmental planning in urban areas

This chapter discusses mapping impacted areas using a classification system which combines measurements of several kinds of pollution, and problems arising from current interest in mixing urban activities in developing compact urban centres. Environmental policy has two lines of approach to prevent problems in urban areas. On the one hand the policy aims at the different economic activities that may generate unacceptable environmental impacts. The second approach is area policy, which focuses on measuring the environmental quality found in areas surrounding sources of pollution, and regulating the kinds of environmentally sensitive activities such as residences that may be located in these polluted areas. Spatial planning aims at a good social environment mainly through interrelating urban functions; making them accessible to one another. Despite the problems with the different forms of environmental zoning, in The Netherlands experience is being acquired with a new type of zoning, the integrated environmental zoning.