Book excerpt: Environmental planning forms the basis of all site development decisions and deals with the factors that must be considered before a site plan can be drawn up. Environmental Planning for Site Development emphasizes the man/nature interface and explains how nature limits and controls what can happen on every piece of land. The text is clearly set out and will help the reader understand exactly what information is needed for a site planning proposal. The book includes a live case study to demonstrate how GIS systems are now assisting in the design and decision process as communities increasingly participate in local decisions. (Local Agenda 21)