{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,4,13]],"date-time":"2026-04-13T10:54:25Z","timestamp":1776077665915,"version":"3.50.1"},"reference-count":38,"publisher":"MDPI AG","issue":"4","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2011,12,20]],"date-time":"2011-12-20T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1324339200000},"content-version":"vor","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/3.0\/"}],"content-domain":{"domain":[],"crossmark-restriction":false},"short-container-title":["Future Internet"],"abstract":"<jats:p>Following a discussion on the semantics of the term \u201contology\u201d, this paper discusses some key points concerning the ontology of the Strategic Environmental Assessment procedure applied to city Masterplans, using sustainability as a reference point. It also assumes the implementation of Guidelines of the Autonomous Region of Sardinia as an experimental context, with the objective of proposing the SEA ontology as an important contribution to improve SEA\u2019s effectiveness.<\/jats:p>","DOI":"10.3390\/fi3040362","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2011,12,20]],"date-time":"2011-12-20T16:40:37Z","timestamp":1324399237000},"page":"362-378","update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3390\/mdpi_crossmark_policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":8,"title":["An Ontology of the Strategic Environmental Assessment of City Masterplans"],"prefix":"10.3390","volume":"3","author":[{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-4317-8007","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Sabrina","family":"Lai","sequence":"first","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Land Engineering, Section of City and Regional Planning, University of Cagliari, Via Marengo 2, Cagliari 09123, Italy"}]},{"given":"Corrado","family":"Zoppi","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Land Engineering, Section of City and Regional Planning, University of Cagliari, Via Marengo 2, Cagliari 09123, Italy"}]}],"member":"1968","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2011,12,20]]},"reference":[{"key":"ref_1","unstructured":"European Commission,DGXI, Environment, Nuclear Safety and Civil Protection Available online: http:\/\/ec.europa.eu\/environment\/eia\/sea-guidelines\/handbook-full-text-annexes.pdf (accessed on 6 September 2011)."},{"key":"ref_2","unstructured":"Sustainability criteria are defined by the European Commission in the document quoted as [1] as follows: i. minimize use of non-renewable resources; ii. use renewable resources within limits of capacity for regeneration; iii. Environmentally-sound use and management of hazardous\/polluting substances and wastes; iv. conserve and enhance the status of wildlife, habitats and landscapes; v. maintain and improve the quality of soils and water resources; vi. maintain and improve the quality of historic and cultural resources; vii. maintain and improve local environmental quality; viii. protection of the atmosphere, with particular attention to global warming; ix. develop environmental awareness, education and training; x. promote public participation in decisions involving sustainable development."},{"key":"ref_3","unstructured":"Regione Autonoma della Sardegna [Sardinia Autonomous Region] Linee Guida per la Valutazione Ambientale Strategica dei Piani Urbanistici Comunali, Allegato alla Delibera della Giunta Regionale della Regione Autonoma della Sardegna n. 44\/51. Available online: http:\/\/www.sardegnaambiente.it\/index.php?xsl=1399&s=18&v=9&c=8280&es=4272&na=1&n=10(accessed on6 September 2011)."},{"key":"ref_4","unstructured":"Hillier, J., and Healey, P. (2010). The Ashgate Companion to Planning Theory, Ashgate Publishing Limited."},{"key":"ref_5","unstructured":"According to Hillier [4], p. 240, an important reference related to the meaning of \u201contology\u201d in the context of the epistemological debate concerning the disciplinary paradigm of planning theory is the essay by Manuel DeLanda [6] on assemblage theory and social complexity."},{"key":"ref_6","unstructured":"DeLanda, M. (2006). A New Philosophy of Society: Assemblage Theory and Social Complexity, Continuum."},{"key":"ref_7","unstructured":"Floridi, L. Ontology. Available online: http:\/\/ontology.buffalo.edu\/smith\/articles\/ontology_pic.pdf(accessed on 6 September 2011)."},{"key":"ref_8","unstructured":"Guarino, N. (1998, January 6\u20138). Formal Ontology in Information Systems. Formal Ontology in Information Systems, Trento, Italy."},{"key":"ref_9","unstructured":"Pretorius, A.J. Ontologies\u2014Introduction and overview. Available online: http:\/\/www.starlab.vub.ac.be\/teaching\/Ontologies_Intr_Overv.pdf(accessed on 6 September 2011)."},{"key":"ref_10","unstructured":"See the Smith's essay quoted in [7], p.9."},{"key":"ref_11","unstructured":"See the Pretorius' essay quoted in [9], p. 3: \u201cThe concept of ontology (written with a lowercase \u2018o\u2019) was first borrowed from the realm of Philosophy by Artificial Intelligence researchers and has since become a matter of interest to computer and information scientists in general.\u201d"},{"key":"ref_12","unstructured":"See the European Commission 's document quoted in [1]."},{"key":"ref_13","unstructured":"See the Regione Autonoma della Sardegna's document quoted in [3], p.18."},{"key":"ref_14","unstructured":"See the European Commission 's document quoted in [1]."},{"key":"ref_15","unstructured":"Directive 2001\/42\/EC, article 2, paragraph 1, letter b. Available online: http:\/\/eur-lex.europa.eu\/LexUriServ\/LexUriServ.do?uri=OJ:L:2001:197:0030:0037:EN:PDF (accessed on 19 December 2011)"},{"key":"ref_16","unstructured":"Italian Law enacted by decree 2006\/152, article 15, paragraph 1. Translation by authors. Available online: http:\/\/www.bosettiegatti.com\/info\/norme\/statali\/2006_0152.htm (accessed on 19 December 2011)."},{"key":"ref_17","unstructured":"Fidanza, A., and Bertini, C. Lettura critica del \u201crecepimento\u201d della Direttiva 2001\/42\/CE (VAS) nel D.Lgs. 152\/2006, recante \u201cNorme in materia ambientale\u201d2006. Available online: http:\/\/www.inu.it\/download_eventi\/lettura_critica.pdf(accessed on 6 September 2011)."},{"key":"ref_18","unstructured":"(1998). 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[1st ed.].","DOI":"10.1007\/978-3-642-16324-1"},{"key":"ref_25","unstructured":"Murgante, B. (2008). L'Informazione Geografica a Supporto della Pianificazione Territoriale [Geographic Information as a Tool to Support Spatial Planning], FrancoAngeli."},{"key":"ref_26","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"587","DOI":"10.1080\/13658810110061207","article-title":"Ontology: Buzzword or paradigm shift in GI Science?","volume":"157","author":"Winter","year":"2001","journal-title":"Int. J. Geogr. Inf. Sci."},{"key":"ref_27","unstructured":"Caglioni, M., and Rabino, G.A. (2006, January 12\u201314). La Costruzione di Un'ontologia Urbana Condivisa e Riutilizzabile [The construction of a shared and reusable urban ontology]. Pisa, Italy. Available online: http:\/\/www.inter-net.it\/aisre\/minisito_2006\/cd_aisre\/Paper\/Caglioni.pdf(accessed on 16 September 2011)."},{"key":"ref_28","unstructured":"Gruber, T.R. Toward principles for the design of ontologies used for knowledge sharing. 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Technical reports and publications are available at http:\/\/www.towntology.net (accessed on 16 November 2011)"},{"key":"ref_32","unstructured":"Hart, G., Dolbear, C., Goodwin, J., and Kovacs, K. Domain Ontology Development. Available online: http:\/\/www.ordnancesurvey.co.uk\/oswebsite\/partnerships\/research\/publications\/docs\/2007\/Domain_Ontology_Development_V1.pdf (accessed on 16 January 2011)."},{"key":"ref_33","unstructured":"Hart, G., and Goodwin, J. Modelling Guidelines for Constructing Domain Ontologies. Available online: http:\/\/www.ordnancesurvey.co.uk\/oswebsite\/partnerships\/research\/publications\/docs\/2007\/Modelling_Guidelines_V1.pdf (accessed on 16 January 2011)."},{"key":"ref_34","unstructured":"Kovacs, K., Dolbear, C., Hart, G., Goodwin, J., and Mizen, H.A. Methodology for Building Conceptual Domain Ontologies. Available online: http:\/\/www.ordnancesurvey.co.uk\/oswebsite\/partnerships\/research\/publications\/docs\/2006\/Methodology_for_Building_Conceptual_Domain_Ontologies_V1.pdf (accessed on 16 January 2011)."},{"key":"ref_35","unstructured":"Prot\u00e9g\u00e9 is a software program developed by the Stanford Center for Biomedical Informatics Research of Stanford University and freely available at: http:\/\/protege.stanford.edu\/Version 3.4.7 (frame oriented) was here used."},{"key":"ref_36","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"93","DOI":"10.1017\/S0269888900007797","article-title":"Ontologies: principles, methods and applications","volume":"11","author":"Uschold","year":"1996","journal-title":"Knowledge Eng. Rev."},{"key":"ref_37","unstructured":"Hillier, J., and Healey, P. (2010). The Ashgate Research Companion to Planning Theory. Conceptual Challenges for Spatial Planning, Ashgate Publishing Limited."},{"key":"ref_38","unstructured":"According to Healey, the first challenge (the so-called \u201canalytical challenge\u201d) for planning theory \u201ccentres on how to conceptualize the relationships between government, wider governance and culture\u201d, while the second (the so-called \u201cnormative challenge\u201d) \u201ccentres on disentangling how governance activity informed by \u2018progressive\u2019 dreams about the future [\u2026] can be distinguished from that which promotes narrowly-focused, elite-dominated and environmentally-damaging future options.\u201d"}],"container-title":["Future Internet"],"original-title":[],"language":"en","link":[{"URL":"https:\/\/www.mdpi.com\/1999-5903\/3\/4\/362\/pdf","content-type":"unspecified","content-version":"vor","intended-application":"similarity-checking"}],"deposited":{"date-parts":[[2025,10,11]],"date-time":"2025-10-11T21:58:26Z","timestamp":1760219906000},"score":1,"resource":{"primary":{"URL":"https:\/\/www.mdpi.com\/1999-5903\/3\/4\/362"}},"subtitle":[],"short-title":[],"issued":{"date-parts":[[2011,12,20]]},"references-count":38,"journal-issue":{"issue":"4","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2011,12]]}},"alternative-id":["fi3040362"],"URL":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3390\/fi3040362","relation":{},"ISSN":["1999-5903"],"issn-type":[{"value":"1999-5903","type":"electronic"}],"subject":[],"published":{"date-parts":[[2011,12,20]]}}}