Development Politics: Private Development and the Public Interest

摘要

The publication reviews recent experience with 'front end' approaches to assessing the impacts of large scale development projects. Its objective is to clarify the advantages and disadvantages of this way of handling impact assessment--that is, of structuring assessment to occur at the same time as, rather than after, development planning. The report is organized around two major projects that illustrate the recent impact assessment experiences of state planners. The Massachusetts example describes the planning process for a major mixed-use development, Copley Place, in central Boston, at a location adjoining both poor and wealthy neighborhoods. The Wisconsin example illustrates a very different situation--a major copper and zinc mining operation (Crandon Project) being planned by Exxon in a rural area with high unemployment.