What is the Built Environment and What is Spatial Planning?
This theme encompasses the design and management of man made surroundings and how people can interact with them.

Spatial planning assesses the potential positive and negative future impacts of development. Spatial plans are developed to influence the future through current development. Development constructed in the present day will have an effect on resource consumption in the future. Bad infrastructure and transport planning have long-term implications that trap people into high carbon lifestyles. On the other hand, places designed around walking and cycling can sustain a high quality of life with a small ecological footprint. Planning that is sustainable attempts to allocate resources so that we can provide for current needs, while ensuring that enough resources remain for future generations.

Planning System
There are two main organisations with responsibility for planning at the national level, the Department for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government (DoEHLG) and An Bord Pleanála (Planning Appeals Board). The Department for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government develop the national planning framework and issue policy guidance. An Bord Pleanála is an independent third party planning appeals board.  

The local authorities are responsible for the implementation of the planning system in Ireland. Individuals and organisations make development proposal, which are assessed by the local authorities in relation to the various planning policies at national, regional and local level.

Policy Framework
At EU level, the key policy document is the European Strategic Development Perspective. In 2002, the Department for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government published the National Spatial Strategy (NSS), which drew from EU policy. The NSS provides an overall framework for planning in Ireland. The NSS aims to achieve a better balance of social, economic and physical development throughout the country, through tackling issues such as urban sprawl, enhanced public transport networks and a balanced relationship with the environment. The NSS aims to achieve balanced regional development, through the development of a network of gateways and hubs. The NSS designated four new national level gateways - the towns of Dundalk and Sligo and the linked gateways of Letterkenny/(Derry) and the Midland towns of Athlone/Tullamore/Mullingar. It also NSS identified nine, strategically located, medium-sized hubs (http://www.irishspatialstrategy.ie/).

The National Development Plan (NDP) 2007-2013 is an investment programme of €184 billion for economic infrastructure, social inclusion measures, social infrastructure, human capital and enterprise, science and innovation (http://www.ndp.ie/docs/NDP_Homepage/1131.htm).

Impact assessments aim to anticipate the future consequences of a current or proposed action. Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) is a process by which we measure the likely environmental impacts of a proposed project or development. The document produced in this process is called an Environmental Impact Statement (EIS). Strategic Environmental Assessment (SEA) is the process by which the environmental considerations of plans and programmes are evaluated. SEA aims to integration of environmental considerations into the preparation and adoption of specified plans and programmes at an early stage making with a view to promoting sustainable development. Both of these have been transposed into Irish planning law.

At a sub-national level, the regional authorities draw up and implement Regional Planning Guidelines (RPGs) and local authorities develop county development plans and local area plans.

Comhar’s Work
Comhar SDC's role is to ensure that policy on the built environment and spatial planning follows the principles of sustainable development. Some activities that Comhar has been involved in include;

• Comhar gave extensive recommendations on the National Development Plan. Comhar has also provided recommendations to the National Spatial Strategy and the Regional Planning Guidelines for the Greater Dublin Area.