Speaker
Description
The spatial decisions made by regulators and policy makers have been formulated through evolving practices and incorporate a range of values from multiple sources. This applies to both terrestrial planning and marine planning but is particularly complex at the coast where regulatory and policy regimes overlap. The way is which diverse values are considered within these regulatory and policy regimes differs between process and between administration, with decisions made at the coast the locus for value conflicts which can put marine and terrestrial interests and values at odds with each other.
This research analyses coastal decision-making processes within the English spatial planning and marine licensing regimes. Using the development of a new sea defence in Southsea, Portsmouth as a case study, we explore how current stakeholder engagement and decision-making processes and practices incorporate the diverse values for multiple stakeholder groups which cross the terrestrial/marine boundary. Within the complex governance framework which seeks to sustainably manage coastal areas, the need for decision-makers to contemplate their own values related to the legitimacy of stakeholder value claims and related to good decision-making processes themselves is explored. Applying a spatial justice lens to management of coastal areas provides a conceptual framing through which value statements can be seen as fundamental for defining the spaces for which decisions are being made. The research concludes that increasing process literacy within both stakeholders (including the pubic) and decision-makers is crucial for maintaining spatial justice for coastal management.
Through illustratively mapping the Southsea Coastal Defence Scheme, this research increases process literacy through explaining how the dual terrestrial/marine decision-making process operates in England, along with Environmental Impact Assessment requirements. It further asserts the importance reflexive practice for decision-makers, policy-practitioners and researcher. By asking the question "what values am I bringing to decision-making processes?" practitioners and theorists can better understand what value statements they are (unconsciously) privileging and where the barriers to diverse values still exist.
| Keywords | Diverse values; coastal planning; process literacy; decision-making; stakeholders |
|---|---|
| Best Congress Paper Award | Yes |
