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This paper introduces StarlETH, a compliant quadrupedal robot that is designed to study fast, efficient, and versatile locomotion. The platform is fully actuated with high compliant series elastic actuation, making the system torque controllable and at the same time well suited for highly dynamic maneuvers. We additionally emphasize key elements of a powerful real time control and simulation environment. The work is concluded with a number of experiments that demonstrate the performance of the presented hardware and controllers.

This paper examines the role of participation and learning in Kenyan strategic environmental assessments (SEAs) of urban plans that include a solid waste management (SWM) component. Two SEA cases were studied using 40 semi-structured interviews and two focus groups. Data are analysed qualitatively employing NVivo software. Participation is assessed using ideal conditions of learning derived from Transformative Learning Theory, and operationalised for this study. Strengths of SEA participation are freedom from coercion and equal opportunity to participate. Notable weaknesses include inaccessibility of SEA documents, inadequate participant funding, and lack of feedback and transparency about the SEA findings. Participants exhibited numerous learning outcomes and associated social actions on urban SWM including waste sorting, recycling and composting (instrumental learning), sharing values and community collaborations on cleanup and recycling (communicative learning), and altering conventional viewpoints from ‘waste for disposal’ to ‘waste as a resource’ (transformative learning), including for livelihood opportunities.

This paper argues that in order for strategic environmental assessment (SEA) to be effectively applied in transport policy, plan and programme making, the existence of certain context elements is essential. However, currently, these are only partly in place. Elements revolve around formal requirements and clear provisions for SEA, the existence of transparent and consistent value frames, the consideration of traditional decision making approaches, systematic tiering, a willingness to cooperate, an acknowledgement of uncertainties and appropriate funding, time as well as support. Focusing on transport case studies from the Netherlands, Finland, Germany and the U.K., the paper provides some empirical evidence for the importance of these context elements.

Environmental impact assessment (EIA) was initially introduced as an advocacy instrument for the biophysical environment in project decision-making. Strategic environmental assessment (SEA) evolved with a similar mission for strategic level proposals. However, recent trends towards more integration, particularly in the context of sustainability assessment (SA) mean that social and economic aspects are now frequently considered on a par with the environment in impact assessment processes. There are indications that this development will ultimately favour trade-offs towards socio-economic benefits, causing adverse environmental impacts. In this paper, we discuss problems connected with these types of integrated assessments. Based on observations of SA processes are actually environmentally unsustainable, we argue that the need for environment focussed EIA and true SEA in planning processes is now greater than ever. We suggest that until power relationships develop in a way that will allow integration in an environmentally sustainable manner, practitioners should not give up the benefits that have arisen from 35 years of EIA practice. We conclude that in our current world, there is nothing wrong with environmental advocacy — let's continue to use EIA and SEA effectively to protect the environment!

Welcome to this special JEAPM issue on impact assessment (IA) research, which — besides this introductory paper — includes 16 short papers contributed by a wide range of leading IA researchers from around the world. These papers provide for an overview of achievements, gaps and future directions for IA research. The collection of papers is the outcome of a targeted call to researchers representing a wide range of IA areas and regions. This has resulted in what we believe is an impressive compilation of contributions on environmental impact assessment (EIA), strategic environmental assessment (SEA), health impact assessment (HIA) and social impact assessment (SIA) as well as theoretical, applied and normative aspects of IA, with a particular focus on sustainable development from European, North and South American, Asian, African and Australian authors.

Strategic environmental assessment (SEA) has been identified as an important tool for helping to ensure that development is planned and implemented for the benefit of biodiversity by the Convention on Biological Diversity, the Ramsar Convention and the Convention for Migratory Species. SEA is seen as a way to overcome many limitations of project-level environmental impact assessment by allowing consideration of biodiversity at higher tiers of decision-making and planning.

This paper identifies some important principles that should be taken into account to ensure that biodiversity considerations are appropriately addressed in SEA, so that the conservation and sustainable use of biodiversity are pursued as fundamental objectives of strategic decision-making. The paper also sets out key considerations to take into account at different stages in the SEA process. The principles explored in this paper should be applicable in any country where SEA is practiced, even though legislation, methodologies and procedures vary widely.

Environmental impact assessment (EIA) was initially introduced as an advocacy instrument for the biophysical environment in project decision-making. Strategic environmental assessment (SEA) evolved with a similar mission for strategic level proposals. However, recent trends towards more integration, particularly in the context of sustainability assessment (SA) mean that social and economic aspects are now frequently considered on a par with the environment in impact assessment processes. There are indications that this development will ultimately favour trade-offs towards socio-economic benefits, causing adverse environmental impacts. In this paper, we discuss problems connected with these types of integrated assessments. Based on observations of SA processes are actually environmentally unsustainable, we argue that the need for environment focussed EIA and true SEA in planning processes is now greater than ever. We suggest that until power relationships develop in a way that will allow integration in an environmentally sustainable manner, practitioners should not give up the benefits that have arisen from 35 years of EIA practice. We conclude that in our current world, there is nothing wrong with environmental advocacy — let's continue to use EIA and SEA effectively to protect the environment!

The broadening out of environmental assessment to also consider social and economic dimensions poses some unique challenges, not the least of which is understanding exactly what such a process might entail. This paper outlines the spectrum of possibilities and explores the issue of when and how environmental, social and economic considerations can be integrated in sustainability assessment. The integration issue is also relevant to the practice of strategic environmental assessments (SEA). A new way of conceptualising these types of assessment is put forward based on: (i) what is being assessed — the "question" that is being asked; and (ii) what approach is being used — the type of assessment selected from the spectrum of possibilities. The latter ranges from impact minimisation for each of the three sustainability pillars through to sustainability considered as an integrated concept. The combination of the question and assessment approach determines the level, extent and timing of integration of environmental, social and economic considerations that can be achieved. Additional thought needs to be given to who is performing the integration role as well as the nature of a particular proposal or its setting. This approach to thinking about SEA and sustainability assessment is illustrated with examples from Australia and the United Kingdom.

This paper investigates the mechanical benefits of employing a passive foot segment to improve energetic efficiency in legged running. The proposed lightweight design significantly reduces impact and damping losses, while simultaneously allowing for a natural-looking stance configuration. Actuator input and ankle spring properties were optimized in simulation and successfully tested in 2D running experiments.

Strategic Environmental Assessment (SEA) has been associated with "good governance" by bodies at national and international levels including the World Bank, OECD, and UK and Scottish Governments. Typically involving components such as transparency, accountability, public participation and partnership working, this SEA/good governance nexus has been promoted in Scotland where the government sees SEA as central to its sustainable development aspirations. Using a governmentality lens to view SEA as a technique seeking to instil environmentally-focused governance, the paper examines the operation of the SEA/good governance nexus in the SEA process of one Scottish case study, a road corridor development framework undertaken between 2006 and 2008. The paper exposes instances of resistance to both the democratising elements of good governance and to SEA itself as the public and statutory Consultation Authorities find their efforts to constructively engage with the SEA process thwarted. This reveals that, in the case studied, the SEA/good governance nexus, as a high-level policy objective, is more aspiration than reality.

This statement aims at giving an overview of the research on impact assessment in Sweden. It takes a point of departure at the introduction of impact assessment in 1991 describing the Swedish research until today. Since the introduction of EIA in the Swedish legislation in the 1990s, a large number of PhD dissertations have been dealing with various aspects of impact assessment. An estimation based on the literature search is that about 20 PhD theses, in which the core of the research is related to EIA or SEA, have been produced since 1990. The research follows four main themes: (i) EIA and SEA as a tool for integration of environmental and sustainability aspects in planning and development, (ii) EIA and SEA as a tool for integration of ecological aspects in planning, (iii) research on the basic concepts of EIA and SEA, and (iv) the relationship with other assessment tools for sustainable development.

Environmental assessment (EA) systems in the countries-in-transition (CITs) in Central and Eastern Europe, Caucasus and Central Asia have been significantly reformed over the last decade. Considerable research efforts have focused on the degree to which EA in this region conforms to best international practice, functions well and results in environmental and democratic improvements. This article examines the evolution of such research and proposes to expand its agenda and methodology to include a policy-systems approach that would more accurately take account of the complexity of EA systems, especially in the constantly changing and institutionally volatile environment of the CITs.

Strategic Environmental Assessment (SEA) is the process through which the impacts of plans and programmes on the environment are assessed. Objectives, targets and indicators are the tools through which these environmental impacts can be measured. The same objectives, targets and indicators may be used for all planning levels but it is also necessary to identify additional plan specific ones. We used a workshop based approach to provide an interface between planners and environmental scientists and to give examples of objectives, targets and indicators for biodiversity, water, air and climatic factors, which could be used in SEA for national, regional and local plans. In addition, we highlight the need for careful consideration during the selection process of these variables which will result in a more rigorous and robust SEA. This is a challenging process but once completed will maximise resources and reduce the workload later in the SEA process.

This paper investigates the potential of Strategic Environmental Assessment (SEA) to contribute to the high-level policy objective of fostering democratisation in spatial planning. Democratic SEA is conceptualised by discussing environmental citizenship, public control over policy making, and participants' empowerment. The empirical investigation is based on the analysis of SEA documents produced during 25 municipal spatial planning processes in Italy between 2004 and 2010. The study found that advances are more evident in the creation of cross-sectoral governance networks than in the involvement of citizens and civil-society organisations. SEA seems to be increasing transparency and expanding the scope of democratic control over spatial planning decisions, though the boundaries between experts, decision makers and citizens are clearly demarcated. To strengthen democratisation processes, the paper argues that all participants should consider themselves equally responsible within SEA networks, and be ready to question alternative environmental value systems that underpin spatial planning processes.

The challenge for implementing an ecosystems approach to environmental decision-making processes, such as spatial planning, is to understand the range, nature and amount of ecosystem services currently provided and the potential for such service provision in the future. The ability to spatially represent ecosystems services is a critical element of the evidence base on which to make decisions about how physical space is used most effectively and sustainably, and the way people and activities are distributed at different spatial scales. This paper reports on the outcomes of a research project originally undertaken for the UK Department for the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs which developed a methodology for mapping ecosystem services using GIS and readily available, existing land use/land cover datasets. Critical components of the methodology, in order to determine which datasets are appropriate for which services, are network analysis and stakeholder engagement techniques, to define the relevant typology of ecosystem services and their relationship to land use/land cover types. The methodology was developed and tested successfully in the context of green grid (green infrastructure) networks in a major UK regeneration area, the Thames Gateway, to the east of London, and its potential use in impact assessment further explored through a number of case studies.

This paper is a "statement" for the March special issue of JEAPM on "Impact Assessment Research: Achievements, Gaps and Future Directions".

Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) research have been performed in a wide range of topics over 40 years in Japan. The study underlying this paper reviewed the achievement of Japanese EIA research through the academic database survey and identified which areas would be required for future EIA research. As a result, whilst there are only 30–50 EIAs conducted per year under EIA Act and genuine SEA is currently not practiced, there is a noticeable research interest with over 30 associated research papers published in the professional Japanese literature every year on average. Most of EIA articles could be classified into five groups; (a) systems and laws, (b) methods, (c) Theme-oriented Studies, (d) Sector-oriented Studies and (e) Case Studies. The following three main areas were identified for future EIA research; (1) studies on pro-active sound decision making for sustainability; (2) effectiveness of EIA from a proponent's viewpoint, leading to enhance public acceptance, for example; and (3) substantive and methodological aspects, including the use of both quantitative and qualitative evaluation methods.

This paper assesses the value of using Strategic Environmental Assessment (SEA) to account for the spatially and temporally diverse and diffuse potential impacts of hydropower development in South Asia’s Koshi basin. A policy and practice review and key stakeholder interviews identified opportunities for SEA to improve existing planning procedures, and also barriers to effective adoption. Whilst stakeholders are interested in employing SEA to evaluate cumulative impacts, institutional blockages and an economic development imperative for power generation leave little space for consideration of alternative scenarios as part of SEA. The analysis is conducted through the formulation and application of a conceptual framework (CFW) for SEA best practice which is then used to identify priority next-steps for a more dynamic application of SEA in the region.

Strategic environmental assessment (SEA) provides an opportunity to integrate climate change issues into renewable energy plans to mitigate the effects of climate change. In this study, we conducted a comparative analysis of the extent to which climate change issues are incorporated into SEAs of onshore wind energy plans in Germany and Scotland. To achieve our objective, we employed a modified version of the Lee and Colley review package to analyse SEA reports. The combined results of our analysis show that 49% and approximately 45% of the overall tasks performed in all the review areas in terms of climate change integration in the documents reviewed were considered satisfactory for Germany and Scotland, respectively. In order to effectively consider the climate change impacts in SEAs and to efficiently plan for onshore wind energy development, due consideration should be given to the adoption of diverse methodological approaches and models of climate change.

This paper presents the design and the experimental validation of a Series rotary Elastic Actuator (SEA). The actuator is conceived to be installed on both the knee and the ankle joint of the version three of the humanoid robot iCub. The actuator is composed of an electric motor, a gearbox, and a customized torsion spring. The stiffness value of the torsion spring is the outcome of an optimisation problem that considers several criteria, e.g., the maximum readable torque from the SEA and the total stiffness of the mechanism. Then, the synthesis of the elastic element exploits a Finite Element Method (FEM), which allows us to meet the requirements. Experiments on the conceived design have been performed on a custom set-up, and they verify the match between the desired and real value of the mechanism stiffness with a maximum resultant error of 9%. An estimation of the damping associated with the SEA is also performed during experimental validation.