| This study examines, through case study analysis, the influence of the emerging concepts of sustainable development and ecosystem management on environmental planning in the south Florida ecosystem. These new concepts are offered as the solution to most problems associated with human interaction with the natural environment, and numerous government agencies are moving forward with programs intended to implement these new concepts. The theory behind these concepts challenges many tenets of our current system; therefore, environmental planning must respond with a critical self analysis. The primary study question is: To what extent is environmental planning being redefined by the emerging frameworks of sustainable development and ecosystem management? The study contains a two-part analysis to answer the research question: (1) a theoretical analysis of whether sustainable development and ecosystem management constitute a new environmental planning paradigm, and (2) an empirical analysis of whether environmental planning practice shows evidence of adoption of the new paradigm.; The theoretical analysis begins with an examination of planning theory and the philosophical and methodological dimensions that define planning. These dimensions include: questions of knowledge, conception of nature, ethical foundations, object of planning, public participation, decision method, planner role, and questions of action. The theoretical analysis shows that the attributes of the planning dimensions for sustainable development and ecosystem management are sufficiently different from those of the existing environmental planning paradigm that they constitute a new, competing environmental planning paradigm.; The empirical analysis is a case study using pattern-matching as the analytic tool. Pattern-matching is used to compare empirical evidence against the two environmental planning paradigms. Data is gathered from three sources: documentation, archival records, and interviews of the participants in the planning process. The units of analysis include the significant environmental planning events in the south Florida ecosystem from 1970 to 1998; these are primarily ecosystem restoration plans.; The empirical analysis shows that environmental planning in the south Florida ecosystem is being substantially redefined by the emerging frameworks of sustainable development and ecosystem management. Despite this substantial redefinition of environmental planning, however, the theoretical principles of sustainable development and ecosystem management have not been fully adopted. |
