Public Participation in Environmental Assessment and Decision Making

Public Participation in Environmental Assessment and Decision Making PDF

Author: National Research Council

Publisher: National Academies Press

Published: 2008-11-07

Total Pages: 322

ISBN-13: 0309134412

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Federal agencies have taken steps to include the public in a wide range of environmental decisions. Although some form of public participation is often required by law, agencies usually have broad discretion about the extent of that involvement. Approaches vary widely, from holding public information-gathering meetings to forming advisory groups to actively including citizens in making and implementing decisions. Proponents of public participation argue that those who must live with the outcome of an environmental decision should have some influence on it. Critics maintain that public participation slows decision making and can lower its quality by including people unfamiliar with the science involved. This book concludes that, when done correctly, public participation improves the quality of federal agencies' decisions about the environment. Well-managed public involvement also increases the legitimacy of decisions in the eyes of those affected by them, which makes it more likely that the decisions will be implemented effectively. This book recommends that agencies recognize public participation as valuable to their objectives, not just as a formality required by the law. It details principles and approaches agencies can use to successfully involve the public.

Private Financing of Public Transportation Infrastructure

Private Financing of Public Transportation Infrastructure PDF

Author: Wendell C. Lawther

Publisher: Lexington Books

Published: 2015-10-22

Total Pages: 278

ISBN-13: 1498504175

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This book discusses a unique combination of best practices and lessons learned, including evaluation and transparency issues not found elsewhere in other texts. Given that P3s are evolving and changing, it contains the most up to date information and review of relevant sources. Other topics that have become more important are reviewed, including the value of benefit cost analysis and the appropriate discount rate to use for value for money analysis. Practices and policies are discussed throughout, highlighting efforts that could lead to successful outcomes. Although transparency is an issue discussed by many, this research indicates that greater transparency would lead to more publicly accepted P3s and ensure greater success. Given recent national news coverage of relevant topics, such as the Highway Trust Fund “running out of money," President Obama’s call for an infrastructure fund, and increasing Congressional interest and testimony, the content of this book is timely. A concurrent theme commonly addressed by other books and commentaries is the complexity of the topic and the lack of understanding of P3s. This research identifies practices and procedures that are innovative and “cutting edge.” Many of the best practices identified are not uniformly adopted by all officials wishing to create P3s. The analysis does not simply describe these practices, but provides insights into the potential advantages of adoption. Experiences in the United States as well as selected international efforts provide a wide range of potential sources from which to draw upon. This book provides a series of case studies and examples, including one chapter devoted to ten studies that were written by several internationally known authors. References to actual experiences are found throughout almost all of the chapters. These case studies reinforce and illustrate relevant points made throughout.

Transportation Planning and Public Participation

Transportation Planning and Public Participation PDF

Author: Ted Grossardt

Publisher: Elsevier

Published: 2018-06-20

Total Pages: 352

ISBN-13: 0128129573

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Transportation Planning and Public Participation: Theory, Process, and Practice explains why, and then how, transportation professionals can treat public participation as an opportunity to improve their projects and identify problems before they do real damage. Using fundamental principles based on extensive project-based research and insights drawn from multiple disciplines, the book helps readers re-think their expectations regarding the project process. It shows how public perspectives can be productively solicited, gathered, modeled, and integrated into the planning and design process, guides project designers on how to ask the proper questions and identify strategies, and demonstrates the tradeoffs of different techniques. Readers will find an analytic and evaluation framework - along with process design guidelines - that will help improve the usefulness and applicability of public input. Shows how to apply quantifiable metrics to the public participation process Helps readers critically analyze and identify project properties that impact public participation process decisions Provides in-depth examples that demonstrate how feedback, representation, and decision modeling can be integrated to achieve outcomes Demonstrates basic principles using examples from a wide range of types and scales Presents tactics on how to make public meetings more efficient and satisfying by integrating appropriate visualizations

Effective Public Involvement Using Limited Resources

Effective Public Involvement Using Limited Resources PDF

Author: Anne Caroline Morris

Publisher:

Published: 2010

Total Pages: 124

ISBN-13:

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This synthesis was prepared to report on the state of the practice and to identify effective public involvement using limited resources. Basic information is offered here for transportation agencies to further their efforts in this area. This synthesis provides information about staff and agency experiences in the application of effective and cost-effective strategies and implementation techniques used to engage the public in the development of transportation plans and projects, as well as strategies found to be ineffective. It captures respondents' definitions of successful, effective, and cost-effective public involvement and reveals a rudimentary state of the practice in the areas of costs and measures of effectiveness. Although there appeared to be no clear cut definitions of responsibilities or implementation strategies, similarities and differences were identified in four areas - organizational structure, staffing, cost quantification, and process. Detailed appendices provide abstracts of the literature reviewed and document survey questionnaire interview responses.

Public Involvement In Energy Facility Planning

Public Involvement In Energy Facility Planning PDF

Author: Dennis W Ducsik

Publisher: Routledge

Published: 2019-06-04

Total Pages: 451

ISBN-13: 1000308618

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Because the power industry is anticipating greatly increased generating capacity requirements in the 1990s, political controversy over electricity demand and supply is likely to return to--and perhaps surpass--the level of rancor experienced during the 1970s. Fortunately, a sizable number of utility companies have come to believe that destructive c

Public Participation Strategies for Transit

Public Participation Strategies for Transit PDF

Author: Scott Giering

Publisher: Transportation Research Board

Published: 2011

Total Pages: 96

ISBN-13: 0309143365

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TRB’s Transit Cooperative Research Program (TCRP) Synthesis 89: Public Participation Strategies for Transit documents the state-of-the-practice in terms of public participation strategies to inform and engage the public for transit-related activities.