Author(s)

M. J. GOZALVO

Abstract

The increasing incidence of environmental policies has led to a profound adaptation of Spanish planning legislation, with the aim of integrating environmental constraints in urban planning decision-making. This study analyzes the results of the environmental assessment procedure in a recently elaborated planning document: the General Plan of the municipality of Villanueva de Castellón (Valencia). Our intention is to show, through the aforementioned practical example, how to combine and settle – in the urban planning – the different variables affecting the environment, as well as the documentation com- plexity that this entails. For this reason, the role and results of the various written documents is shown, items which in turn support the Environmental Sustainability Report. A determining sample of the effectiveness of the environmental assessment process has been the high-flood risk detection derived from the proximity of the Albaida river to populated areas. This circumstance has led to the modification of the initial proposed location of the main public park within the future planning to make it work as a protective element between the populated areas and the river.

Keywords

environmental policies, sustainable development, urban planning