Environmental Planning Services
Selkirk Planning & Design believes that environmental planning and a thorough analysis of all the issues is the key to developing a successful project. This methodology helps inform the designer and produces a rational, well-informed design decision.
ENVIRONMENTAL PLANNING is an important requirement when planning any project. Considering environmental impacts in the first phases of the project ensures the long-term sustainability of any project. Without a clean, well-functioning environment, social, cultural, and economic factors will be negatively impacted. Peak oil and climate change are two of the biggest threats to future communities, and these factors are driving all of SPD’s decisions, that focus on reducing energy use, and developing ecologically-based solutions.
Environmental planning begins by examining the existing landscape, figuring out what important functions currently take place on the land, and what the impact of altering those functions will be. This typically identifies where development SHOULD NOT occur. These are areas of primary conservation, and include water features, productive soil, regionally significant habitat and species, and steep slopes to name a few.
Environmental planning also examines the potential effects of development on the land, and ways to maximize environmental benefit. For instance, considering which areas receive the best solar access can reduce energy costs.
MAPPING & ANALYSIS is the second necessary phase in planning a project. It works in conjunction with environmental planning and helps to develop a rationale for decision-making. This phase is about gathering all the information possible, analyzing it in different ways, and summarizing what the findings are and producing maps in order to develop a logical design solution. Mapping information about historical, cultural and environmental land use, to name a few, provides great insights into a specific community or site. Using this information to determine the best location for roads, paths, parks, different land uses, density, etc. ensures that correct decisions are made by considering all the above mentioned factors.
Services Include:
Watershed, Slope, & Vegetation Mapping & Planning
Solar Analaysis for Building Siting and Improved Environmental Performance
Shadow Analysis
Conceptual Landscape Design
Cultural Inventory and Analysis
Viewshed Mapping
