Social Impact Assessment and Environmental Design (Environmental Design Research - Problems and Needs)

摘要

The study was designed to develop a rationale for funding social impact assessment (SIA) of public programs and policies as part of an NSF-sponsored program of environmental design research. It addresses potential contributions of SIA to the solution of environmental design problems, and reviews SIA as it intersects with environmental design interests. Socio-political, economic, and ecological consequences related to large-scale applications of high technology are discussed. The field of SIA was described from the standpoint of its objectives and the resistances encountered in achieving them. Other problems included the lack of interest by policy makers in SIA, the difficulties of evaluating advantages and disadvantages of numerous social science methodologies, and bridging the gap between SIA research and practice so as to solve individual situations. The report concludes with a brief review of cognate programs in which SIA-type work is funded by NSF and the importance of institutional support. Extensive tables, exhibits, and references are included.