A fairer place? A prototype framework for assessing the environmental equity implications of proposed urban developments in the UK

Equity is central to sustainable development. Yet the vast majority of urban sustainability assessment tools do not address equity concerns. One notable exception is the United States' environmental equity assessment process. However, in many countries no analogy exists. Accordingly, research was undertaken to develop a prototype framework, which would help examine the local environmental equity implications of proposed urban developments within the UK. This paper briefly introduces the role of equity in sustainable development in order to contextualize a discussion on the concept of environmental equity and its assessment. The paper then provides an overview of the framework.