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Using Attributes of Natural Systems to Plan the Built Environment
Citation:
Hansen, V. E. Using Attributes of Natural Systems to Plan the Built Environment. Presented at Annual Conference of the American Institute of Chemical Engineers, Salt Lake City, UT, November 07, 2007.
Impact/Purpose:
Presentation/Slides
Description:
The concept of 'protection' is possible only before something is lost, however, development of the built environment to meet human needs also compromises the environmental systems that sustain human life. Because maintaining an environment that is able to sustain human life requires intact natural systems, intact systems are a fundamental condition within which the built environment must be developed and maintained. Because the process of planning the built environment is intended to meet human needs within many sets of conditions, e.g., zoning, building codes, budgets, etc., the essential attributes of intact natural systems can be used as planning criteria. These criteria become the guide and measure for making land-use decisions that meet human needs and maintain the environment's ability to sustain human life.