The limits of environmental responsibility - A stormwater case study

The motivation for concern about the environment beyond one's neighborhood is still relatively poorly understood. This article examines the determinants of feelings of responsibility at a regional watershed level. Using demographic, attitudinal, self-reported behavior and neighborhood mapping measures from four cities in Australia, five hypotheses were derived. These were that wider environmental concerns would depend on (a) the physical and social characteristics of the respondents' neighborhoods, (b) the size of their perceived neighborhoods, (c) the length of residence at their localities, (d) educational level and attitudes toward environmental moral responsibility (and the interaction between them), and (e) the level of reported environmentally friendly behavior. Support was gained for all hypotheses except length of residence and the role of general moral attitudes toward the environment. It is concluded that to explain community action at the regional level, it is important to include both spatial and psychological insights and methodologies in research

Social justice in spatial planning: how does bioregionalism contribute?

By influencing the distribution of people and activities in space, spatial planning has social impacts. However, it does not always take into account social justice. This chapter intends to clarify what can be considered socially just planning, in relation to the bioregional approach. In contrast to current planning and development practices, which are often extractive and can exacerbate socio-spatial inequalities, many components of the bioregional approach contribute to more fair and inclusive planning. However, some dimensions of social and spatial justice may be overlooked and need specific attention in the planning process, even within a bioregional approach. In this short essay, we explain the complementary dimensions of social justice, the scientific controversies concerning the way to promote socially just planning, and we ultimately discuss the impact of the bioregional approach on the fairness and inclusiveness of planning practices