Governance and knowledge, towards an innovation in sustainability oriented policies?

The aim of the paper is to identify and discuss the innovations in the relationship between governance and knowledge triggered by the introduction of SEA in the Province of Milan Master Plan 2003-2007. This general planning instrument, defined and approved by the Provincial Government in 2003, had to be significantly revised after the issue of the new Regional Planning Law (L.R. 12/2005, March 2005). The new Planning Law required, among other aspects, the implementation of SEA according to EU Directive 42/2001. The characterizing elements in this SEA process, compared to the planning procedures traditionally in place before, are an extensive stakeholder involvement process and a stricter relationship between the production of sound environmental research and planning decisions. Both elements may be able to introduce significant innovations in the planning procedures, and, in order to fully understand the real extent of such innovations it is important to precisely review some significant steps in the decision making process. Finally, the paper will consider how the inclusion of new governance practices in parallel to more traditional hierarchical structures may allow to re-frame the local planning policy, and to better integrate sustainability concerns and local knowledge into the policy making and consultation procedures, thus enhancing the effectiveness and legitimacy of the whole process.