ABSTRACT
The municipality of Zwolle, together with the Ministry of Housing and Spatial Planning and Environment of The Netherlands, has developed a method by which this concept can be translated into a practical instrument in which environmental values can be protected without overly constraining human land use. In strategic planning, there are two ways of approaching negative environmental effects: problem oriented, what are problems we might have to deal with and target oriented, how do we solve the problems. An integrated approach to assessing environmental impacts by means of a Method for involving Environmental aspects into spatial Planning (MEP) is aimed at offering options for solving these problems. The MEP and some extra research on soil contamination and noise were used to include environmental concerns into the planning process and to facilitate making a choice. The MEP has been developed from professional practice experiences such as issuing licences for factories and developing urban plans.
