Integrated Environmental Index for Application in Land-Use Zoning VERONICA M. SOL* PETRONELLA E. M. LAMMERS HARRY AIKING JOOP DE BOER JAN F. FEENSTRA Institute for Environmental Studies Free University De Boelelaan 1115 1081 HV Amsterdam, The Netherlands ABSTRACT / This paper describes the development of an integrated environmental index that may serve as a representation of the general environmental quality at a certain location. This index is meant to be used by local administrators to strike a balance between the development of industrial activities and the protection of sensitive land-uses (housing). The approach used to arrive at this index, based on health considerations, is described, detailing the different steps in the construction of the index: identification, assessment, summation, valuation and aggregation. The index combines environmental quality information concerning noise, odor, air pollution, and risk of industrial calamities. The resulting integrated environmental index is illustrated using data of a pilot project. Since 1970, Dutch environmental policy focused on distinct environmental fields, such as noise, water, waste, air, and soil. In each field standards, regula- tions, and legislation have been developed to deal with increased pollution problems. In recent years, Dutch environmental policy has shown a gradual shift to- wards a more integrated approach, focusing on five selected categories of sources (refineries, power plants, traffic, agriculture, chemical industry) and certain categories of effects (e.g., acidification). This dual source-and-effect oriented approach provided a base for the national environmental policy plan (NEPP), which was published in 1989 by the Dutch Ministry of Housing, Physical Planning and Environ- ment. One of the policy instruments that have been emphasized in the NEPP is integral environmental zoning aimed at improving the environmental quality around large industrial complexes. This paper has been devoted to a new instrument for integral envi- ronmental zoning. It describes the development of an integrated environmental index that can be used in land-use zoning. The following sections successively discuss the background of the research, the character- istics and the scope of an integrated environmental index, the development of the index, and its applica- tion in land-use zoning, using illustrative data of a pilot project. KEY WORDS: Integrated environmental index; Land-use zoning; Physical planning; Methodology; The Netherlands *Author to whomcorrespondenceshould be addressed. Background In the Netherlands, land-use zoning has been an important instrument in management of land use, be- cause of the presence of high levels of environmental pollutants combined with a high population density. This may be illustrated by comparing sources of envi- ronmental pollution in the Netherlands with those in other countries and continents (see Table 1). Table 1 shows that in the Netherlands high densities of popu- lation, livestock, automobile ownership and energy consumption are combined, resulting in high concen- trations of combustion gases and other environmental problems. Industrial activities and heavy traffic are the main causes of the problems encountered at the local level. An important characteristic of local problems is the fact that sources, effects, and the people affected are easily identifiable. Additionally, the majority of these effects diminish with increasing distance from the source. Therefore, both source-oriented measures and zoning should be considered as possible solutions to these problems. In the Netherlands, zoning is laid down by law with respect to industrial noise. Around an industrial area a zone is defined where the noise level measures 50 dB(A) (inside the zone a higher noise level prevails and ouiside the zone a lower noise level). Inside this zone, building of new housing is prohibited. The zone also limits expansion of the ex- isting industrial area. Expansion is allowed only if the noise level in the new situation outside the zone is less than 50 dB(A). Environmental Management Vol. 19, No. 3, pp. 457-467 9 1995 Springer-Verlag New York Inc.