Author(s)

R. Sairinen

Abstract

The purpose of this paper is to analyse the content and importance of social impact assessment (SIA) in urban planning. SIA can be defined as a systematic effort to identify and analyse social impacts of a proposed project or plan on the individual, on social groups within a community, or on an entire community in advance of the decision making process. Social impacts of urban plans refer to various factors such as quality of housing, local services and living environment, gentrification or segregation, conditions of transportation etc. The article is focusing on the Finnish experiences. In Finland the new Land Use and Building Act, which came into force on 1.1.2000, brought impact assessment as an integral part of urban planning. The SIA experiences in Jyväskylä City offer an interesting case study. Keywords: social impact assessment, urban planning

Keywords