Evidence, expertise, and politics. The role of knowledge brokering in environmental assessments and spatial planning

This paper examines how knowledge brokering affects decision-making in land-use planning. It explores the demand for knowledge and the dynamics shaping evidence utilisation. It relies on an online survey of local public officers and interviews with regional lawmakers and stakeholders in Lombardy, Italy. Findings reveal that decision-makers predominantly seek technical expertise for instrumental purposes, mainly relying on practical sources such as local officers and peers. Knowledge brokering is positively correlated with the perceived saliency of Strategic Environmental Assessment (SEA) content for voting on urban plans, although its effectiveness is influenced by political alignment. Opposition lawmakers exhibit scepticism towards brokered materials from the executive, highlighting the politicisation of expert knowledge. The study also highlights significant gaps in brokerage practices, with limited institutional investment in training and insufficient integration of SEA outputs into decisions. Despite these challenges, we suggest that transparent and inclusive brokering can enhance the utility of SEA by shifting it from a bureaucratic exercise to a meaningful decision-aiding instrument bridging technical assessments and policymaking. The study calls for further exploration of the conditions under which knowledge brokering contributes to better policy outcomes, and advocates increased public investment in brokerage skills to strengthen environmental governance.