Strategic environmental assessment and transportation sector planning in the state of São Paulo

ABSTRACT Strategic Environmental Assessment (SEA) is the appropriate tool for achieving sustainability in planning. Performance criteria of the International Association for Impact Assessment were applied to Brazilian transport cases of SEA by using compliance and content analysis. The results showed a relative alignment of the national studies to the expectation of quality for fostering SEA efficiency, with some satisfactory practices and limited other ones. This paper proposes guidelines for using SEA in transport planning in the state of São Paulo from contributions identified in the national studies, complemented by international good practice.